Editorial: Pathological gambling and dopamine agonists: A phenotype? || FREE PAPER ||

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Author: Roger M Pinder

Published Date May 2007 Volume 2007:3(1) Pages 1 - 2

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S

Roger M Pinder

York, UK

Abstract: Therapeutic dopamine agonists have been around a long time ever since the deficit of brain dopamine in Parkinson’s disease (PD) was first reported in 1960 (Ehringer and Hornykiewicz 1960) swiftly followed by the first clinical trial of levodopa administration in Parkinsonian patients (Birkmayer and Hornykiewicz 1961). Design of new dopamine agonists was also a first love of the Editor of Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment (Pinder 1970; Miller et al 1974). In those first heady years efficacy in a previously untreatable but rather common neurological disorder seemed more important than side effects, especially as more selective agonists of dopamine than levodopa came on stream. Indeed, in addition to the many variations on levodopa, such as different pharmaceutical formulations and various combinations with enzyme inhibitors, there is now an armamentarium of such drugs available including ergoline derivatives like bromocriptine, cabergoline, and pergolide and non-ergolines such as pramipexole, ropinirole, and rotigotine. Dopamine agonists are even being used as monotherapy in early PD before levodopa-containing drugs are considered (Clarke and Guttman 2002).