Update on Levodopa/Carbidopa Intestinal Gel Infusion

Recent data on levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) infusion are discussed in this article. LCIG infusion provides improvements in ‘off’ time and dyskinesia via continuous dopaminergic stimulation (CDS). In the long-term, LCIG infusion appears to maintain efficacy without the need to increase dosages. The growing number of publications on LCIG infusion shows the increasing experience and interest in this therapy. The new data demonstrate the effects of using LCIG infusion in combination with catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitors, and technical improvements to the pump system (e.g., to the tubing). Despite the invasive nature of LCIG infusion, nearly all patients would recommend this treatment. Furthermore, a number of larger-scale studies on this particular CDS therapy are in progress.