How does L-dopa effect the actions of neurotransmitters at the synapse in Parkinson's patients?
1 Answer
L-dopa is a drug administered to many Parkinson's patients to attempt to increase an important intercellular antioxidant called glutathione, and to increase cell extension and survival.
Explanation:
L-dopa is Levodopa and is used to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease in an effort to reduce suffering and to enhance the lives of patients.
Neurotransmitters at the synapse perform the complicated procedure of carrying information between neurons using chemical transmission. This method is used in conjunction with electrical transmission, which is faster, but it cannot continue as long as chemical transmission over distances.
The continued chemical transmission is dependent on dopamine levels in the synaptic clefts between the neurons, and L-dopa is used to augment these levels where dopamine has decreased.
There is extensive information here:
https://www.antiaging-systems.com/articles/225-l-dopa-it-s-more-than-an-anti-parkinson-drug
