Background

Adenosine A2A receptor antagonists reduce or prevent the development of dyskinesia in animal models of levodopa-induced dyskinesia.

Methods

We examined the association between self-reported intake of the A2A receptor antagonist caffeine and time to dyskinesia in the Comparison of the Agonist Pramipexole with Levodopa on Motor Complications of Parkinson's Disease (CALM-PD) and CALM Cohort extension studies, using a Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for age, baseline Parkinson's severity, site, and initial treatment with pramipexole or levodopa.

Results

For subjects who consumed >12 ounces of coffee/day, the adjusted hazard ratio for the development of dyskinesia was 0.61 (95% CI, 0.37-1.01) compared with subjects who consumed <4 ounces/day. For subjects who consumed between 4 and 12 ounces/day, the adjusted hazard ratio was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.46-1.15; test for trend, P = .05).

Conclusions

These results support the possibility that caffeine may reduce the likelihood of developing dyskinesia.