Opicapone for the Treatment of Nocturnal Hypokinesia in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease: An Open-Label Pilot Clinical Trial

Nocturnal hypokinesia (NH) is common in patients with moderate-stage Parkinson's disease (PD). This open-label, single-arm pilot study aimed to assess the effect of bedtime opicapone administration on NH and to evaluate the clinical utility of the Nocturnal Hypokinesia Questionnaire (NHQ). The primary endpoint was the change in the NHQ score from baseline to week 6. Fifteen patients were included. The mean change in the NHQ score after the 6-week treatment was -0.9 points (95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.4, 0.5; p=0.187), which was not statistically significant. However, NHQ domain 2 (getting out of bed) significantly improved, with a mean change of -0.3 points (95% CI: -0.6, -0.1; p=0.025). The administration of opicapone in patients with PD and NH did not result in a significant improvement in NH, although it was associated with an improvement in the single domain of getting out of bed. Further studies are needed to establish the efficacy of opicapone for treating NH.