Abstract
Botulinum toxin (BoNT) therapy is frequently employed in the treatment of Parkinson's
disease (PD) symptoms. It can effectively ameliorate the symptoms of cervical dystonia,
blepharospasm, sialorrhea, and hyperactive bladder. It is increasingly being used
for additional PD-related indications including limb dystonia, oromandibular dystonia,
tremors, constipation, dysphagia, gastroparesis, and sweating dysfunction. Botulinum
toxin treatment has mostly local side effects and does not interfere with dopaminergic
therapies prescribed for PD. With the exception of dystonia and sialorrhea, most evidence
for BoNT efficacy is derived from studies conducted in nonparkinsonian populations.
Thus, the data to inform typical response pattern and side-effect profile in PD are
still evolving. Nevertheless, BoNT is widely used and is an important tool in the
PD-treatment arsenal. In this review, the authors discuss the current literature on
the use of BoNT in various PD-related motor and nonmotor disorders.
Keywords
botulinum toxin - Parkinson's disease - dystonia - blepharospasm - sialorrhea
