How does amantidine act as treatment for parkinson's disease?

Affects dopamine : Amantadine is usually not the first line drug for parkinson's disease. However, in certain patients it has been shown to help the parkinson's symptoms. It is often used in conjunction with the standard parkinson's medications. It seems to act by increasing release of Dopamine and blocking its re-uptake at the synaptic junction. Amantadine seems to upregulate the Dopamine receptors also.

Few possibilities: Truly how it works is not known. It may be a mild Dopamine agonist. It may allow the patient to use their own Dopamine more efficiently. It is a milder agent, but it is the only agent we have that not only helps parkinson disease symptoms but also dyskinesias.