Age/disease duration influence on activities of daily living and quality of life after levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel in Parkinson's disease

Abstract

A Summary points Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is delivered continuously via percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy to patients with advanced Parkinson's disease whose motor fluctuations are no longer sufficiently controlled by oral medication. GLORIA was a 24-month observational registry that evaluated long-term effectiveness of LCIG. This post hoc analysis assessed subgroups of patients by baseline age, disease duration, hours per day of 'off' time and levodopa equivalent dose (LED). Quality of life improvements were similar based on age and disease duration. Improvements in quality of life were greater in patients with more 'off' time and higher LED at baseline, suggesting that the magnitude of baseline disability may be a predictor of a clinical outcome. Improvements in activities of daily living appeared to be greater in patients treated with LCIG earlier in life, after shorter disease duration, and in those with the highest baseline LED. Aim: To determine if age and Parkinson's disease duration at therapy initiation influence the efficacy of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) on quality of life and activities of daily living. Patients & methods: This post hoc analysis assessed subgroups of patients stratified by baseline age, disease duration, hours/day of 'off' time and levodopa equivalent dose. Patients' data were collected from the GLORIA study, a 24-month observational registry evaluating long-term effectiveness of LCIG. Results & conclusion: LCIG therapy led to sustained improvements in quality of life irrespective of patient age and disease duration at baseline. Improvements in activities of daily living were observed across all subgroups, particularly in younger patients, patients with shorter disease duration and in patients with the highest baseline levodopa equivalent dose.