Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system but Madopar is one of the solutions for this disease. It often targets dopamine-producing cells located in the substantia nigra. However these cells die for unknown reasons, as a result it affects the motor function of the individual affected by this disorder.

Patients with this condition often experience problems with the motor function. This includes, shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait. In the medical field, these symptoms are grouped and are collectively called Parkinsonism or Parkinson’s syndrome.

Treatments(Madopar) for Parkinson’s Disease

Meanwhile, treatments have been made available in order to counter the affected motor function of the patient. Levedopa, dopamine agonists and MAO-B inhibitors are the main drugs used to treat motor symptoms. One particular drug which has been found to successfully inhibit symptoms is called Madopar.

Contents of Madopar

Madopar is a drug which consists mainly of levedopa and benserazide. In pharmacology, levedopa is a chemical which is the precursor to the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine or collectively called as catecholamines. If you can remember, Parkinson’s disease happens due to the inadequate dopamine in the body. The cells producing these chemicals die for strange reasons producing low levels of dopamine. Subsequently, inadequate supply of dopamine results to several motor disorders.

With these in mind, Madopar, a drug which contains levedopa is used extensively in this scenario. This works when levedopa is administered in the body and it is synthesized by the enzyme aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase to convert it into dopamine once it reaches the central nervous system. On the other hand, Pyridoxal phosphate is also introduced since it is a co-factor which helps in the conversion of levedopa to dopamine. Because of this, Pyridoxine is often administered together with levedopa.

Madopar Medication

However, apart from the central nervous system, levedopa is also converted into dopamine in the peripheral nervous system. When this happens, adverse reaction usually follows because too much dopamine outside of the central nervous system is terrible. As a result, levedopas are infused with benserazide to prevent peripheral synthesis of dopamine from levedopa. This combination is present in the drug Madopar and is often considered in some parts of the world as a main treatment for Parkinson’s syndrome due to their effectiveness in reducing symptoms and controlling the side effects.