From the FDA Drug Label
The FDA drug label does not answer the question.
From the Research
Effect of Levodopa on Postural Instability
- The administration of levodopa has been found to have no significant effect on improving postural instability in patients with Parkinson's disease, suggesting that nondopaminergic pathways may be involved 1.
- Studies have shown that levodopa can actually increase postural sway in some cases, particularly in patients with levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) 2, 3, 4.
- The combination of levodopa and deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus internus (GPI-DBS) has been found to have differential effects on temporal and spatial aspects of postural control, with GPI-DBS counteracting some of the adverse effects of levodopa 5.
Postural Control in Parkinson's Disease
- Patients with Parkinson's disease have been found to have impaired postural control, including reduced in-place responses and increased center-of-mass displacement 1.
- The threshold force needed to evoke a step is also smaller in patients with Parkinson's disease, particularly in the forward direction 1.
- Levodopa-induced dyskinesia has been found to alter postural control strategies, leading to increased sway in superior segments of the kinematic chain and head instability 2.
Clinical Implications
- The findings suggest that postural instability in Parkinson's disease is a complex phenomenon that may not be fully addressed by levodopa therapy alone 1, 5, 2, 3, 4.
- Clinicians should be aware of the potential effects of levodopa on postural stability and consider alternative therapies, such as GPI-DBS, to improve postural control in patients with Parkinson's disease 5.