1. Levodopa is the gold standard treatment for Parkinson's disease as it improves all motor symptoms when combined with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor like carbidopa. 2. Levodopa's mechanism of action involves increasing dopamine levels in the brain. When taken with carbidopa, more levodopa reaches the brain with less required dosing and fewer side effects. 3. Levodopa is associated with motor complications like dyskinesia and motor fluctuations over the long-term due to pulsatile dopamine stimulation in the brain from its short half-life.