Video - Anti-parkinson medications

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder in which there is progressive depletion of dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia, especially in the substantia nigra. Anti-Parkinson medications are drugs used in the management of this disorder.

There are a few different classes of medications used to manage Parkinson's Disease. These include dopamine precursors such as levodopa (L-Dopa); dopaminergic drugs such as bromocriptine that increases the amount of dopamine in the brain; monoamine oxidase (MAO)-B inhibitors like rasagiline that blocks an enzyme that breaks down dopamine; and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors such as tolcapone which work by stopping an enzyme from breaking down levodopa.