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Parkinson's Disease
Treatment and Research - Medications
The main therapy for Parkinson's is the drug levodopa, also called
L-dopa. It is a simple chemical found naturally in plants and
animals. Nerve cells use levodopa to make dopamine to replenish the
brain's dwindling supply. People cannot simply take dopamine pills
because dopamine does not easily pass through the blood-brain
barrier. The blood-brain barrier is a lining of cells inside blood
vessels that controls the transport of oxygen, glucose, and other
substances into the brain.
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