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Studies performed on 18 patients with Parkinson's disease and 6 control subjects have shown that acute administration of L-DOPA in clinically effective doses gives rise to a diffuse increase in regional cerebral blood flow without accompanying stimulation of regional oxygen utilization. The data suggest that this rise in rCBF is caused by vasodilatation due to a direct action of the drug on the cerebral blood vessels. The effect of L-DOPA on rCBF did not correlate with the degree of clinical improvement seen in each patient after treatment. The therapeutic effect of L-DOPA in the brain was not reflected in any change of regional cerebral oxygen utilization as measured by our technique. We suggest that the pharmacological actions of L-DOPA in the brain take place on at least two different levels.
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Leenders et al. (1985) studied this question.