Prevalence and features of peripheral neuropathy in Parkinson's disease patients under different therapeutic regimens

Our findings support the relationship between levodopa and PN and confirm that an imbalance in VB12/hcy may be a key pathogenic factor. We suggest two different, possibly overlapping mechanisms of PN in patients on CDLII: axonal degeneration due to vitamin deficiency and inflammatory damage. Whether inflammatory damage is triggered by vitamin deficiency and/or by modifications in the intestinal micro-environment should be further explored. Proper vitamin supplementation may prevent peripheral damage in most cases.