Brainwaves

For those of you who've witnessed it, giving levodopa to a patient with idiopathic Parkinson Disease is almost a miracle to watch. Unlike practically every other condition afflicting the nervous system, the unmistakable unrest of PD essentially surrenders to this tiny tablet. But what did we use before levodopa? In this week's episode of BrainWaves, we recount the history (and serendipity) behind the development of this miracle drug. BrainWaves podcasts and online content are intended for medical education only and should not be used to guide medical decision making in routine clinical practice. REFERENCES 1. Parkinson J. An essay on the shaking palsy. 1817. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2002;14:223-36; discussion 222. 2. Glatstein M, Alabdulrazzaq F and Scolnik D. Belladonna Alkaloid Intoxication: The 10-Year Experience of a Large Tertiary Care Pediatric Hospital. Am J Ther. 2016;23:e74-7. 3. Koranyi EK. A preamble on parkinsonism. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 1999;24:296-9. 4. Bucy P and Case T. Tremor: Physio