Antiparkinsonian drugs increase dopaminergic system activity in order to compensate dopamine neurons degeneration in corpus striatum.

To study antiparkinsonian drugs hallucinatory side effect

Our study included 28 geriatric patients enrolled in a private long-term care institution with mean age 84.93 ± 5.71 years old, weight mean 66.36 ± 2.83 kg with Parkinson’s disease.

Drugs administered to patients with Parkinson’s disease were studied.

The association of L-DOPA and DOPA descarboxylase inhibitor (benserazide) were administered to 53%(15) in doses between 2.0-19.0 mg/kg/day.

L-DOPA associated to catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor (entacapone)

3 mg/kg/day were given to 7.14% (2) patients.

Bromocriptine 0.04 mg/kg/day were given to 3.57% (1) patient.

39.29% (11) did not received any antiparkinsonian drug.

Mental confusion and hallucination side effect were observed in 53.33%(8) patients treated with L-DOPA associated to DOPA descarboxylase inhibitor (benserazide).

The increase of dopamine levels due to the administration L-DOPA, in corpus striatum improved Parkinson’s disease symptoms although undesirable effect related to dopamine activity at mesocortical pathway such as confusion and hallucination were observed.