BrainWaves #35 Levodopa: A history

MedLink Neurology Podcast is delighted to feature selected episodes from BrainWaves, courtesy of James E Siegler MD, its originator and host. BrainWaves is an academic audio podcast whose mission is to educate medical providers through clinical cases and topical reviews in neurology, medicine, and the humanities, and episodes originally aired from 2016 to 2021.

Originally released: July 18, 2017

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 Parkinson disease 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.

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We believe that the principles expressed or implied in the podcast remain valid, but certain details may be superseded by evolving knowledge since the episode’s original release date.