A Pilot Prospective, Multicenter Observational Study of Dopamine Agonist Withdrawal Syndrome in Parkinson's Disease

Dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome (DAWS) has been reported in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who rapidly decrease or stop their dopamine agonist (DA) treatment. Retrospective studies suggest a high prevalence of DAWS (14%-18%) in PD, but there are no prospective studies. We report data from the first pilot European multicenter prospective study addressing the frequency of probable DAWS (Rabinak-Nirenberg criteria) in PD patients. The self-completed Nonmotor Symptoms Questionnaire (which addresses the core features of DAWS) was administered at clinical follow-up at 1 month in 51 patients (33 male; mean age: 73.0 ± 9.9 years; PD duration: 12.2 ± 6.3 years) who had discontinued dopamine agonists. Twelve out of fifty-one patients (24%) met clinical criteria for DAWS, the most common symptoms of which were anxiety (91.7%), pain (50%), sweating (41.7%), and anhedonia (16.7%), after the withdrawal of a DA (ropinirole, pramipexole, or cabergoline). In this first prospective evaluation of DAWS in the clinic, preliminary data indicate a high rate after discontinuation of a range of DAs, particularly in the context of impulse control disorders. Larger, controlled studies are required to establish a definitive management pathway.