The Effect of L-dopa on Postural Stability in Parkinson's Disease Patients

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of L-dopa on postural stability in Parkinson's disease patients. In the study, we examined a group of 13 patients, members of the Parkinson's Association. The majority of subjects were women: 8 (61.538%), while 5 (38.462%) were men. These were patients with advanced, idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The study was performed at the Posturology Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UJK, Kielce (Poland). The duration of the illness was longer than 5 years. The daily L-dopa dose was between 600 and 1000 mg/d. Patients were tested for postural stability prior to taking the morning dose and again, 1 h after the 200-mg dose (Madopar 250 Tablets). The Biodex Balance System was applied in order to perform Postural Stability Testing. No statistically significant differences were found for the distribution of postural stability results before or after L-dopa administration. Nonetheless, it should be noted that all variables in the Postural Stability Test were slightly improved following L-dopa administration. The highest percentage (% Time in Zone) was noted in Zone A (the best), before (85.77%) and after L-dopa administration (95.23%). The highest % Time in Quadrant was in Quadrant IV (right posterior) both before (41.43%) and after L-dopa administration (49.54%). When comparing the distribution of postural stability variables before and after L-dopa administration, there were no significant differences between women and men.