Sensory Tricks for Cervical Levodopa-induced Dyskinesia in Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Choreiform or dystonic movement in the craniocervical region can occur as levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). "Sensory tricks" are various alleviating maneuvers for the relief of abnormal postures in patients who have idiopathic focal dystonia, particularly those who have cervical dystonia. The authors report on three men with Parkinson's disease who had been receiving levodopa for more than 3 years and presented with involuntary neck movements during the drug on period. In all three patients, cervical LIDs appeared during the drug on period and completely disappeared during the drug off period. The effects of using sensory tricks to markedly improve the symptoms of cervical LID were studied. In all patients, the cervical LIDs improved more efficiently when sensory tricks were performed on the patient by another person (passive tricks) than by the patient himself (self-sensory tricks). The unique features of the sensory tricks for cervical LID in the current patients may be important clinical evidence of abnormal sensorimotor integration in patients who have PD with LID.