Meet my friends carbidopa and COMT

Their necks are the thickest, their jaws are the MOST chiseled, & they are crucial in the treatment of patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

Unfortunately, dopamine (the neurotransmitter that is decreased when individuals have Parkinson’s disease) cannot cross the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB). Luckily, we are able to give patients L-DOPA the precursor to dopamine.

Carbidopa and COMT prevent the breakdown of L-dopa before it crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB) to become dopamine.

 We WANT it across that barrier.

More dopamine in the basal ganglia = better outcomes for our patients with Parkinson’s.

Feel free to listen to The Bodygaurd soundtrack (cause who couldn’t use a little Whitney now and then) and learn more about the incredible pharmacology behind treatment of patients with Parkinson’s.