Deprenyl (selegiline) in combination treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Long-term treatment of parkinsonian patients with levodopa (plus decarboxylase inhibitor) leads to decreasing levodopa efficacy and increasing side-effects. Then main therapeutic problems are on-off phenomena, end-of-dose akinesia and levodopa-induced dyskinesias. Deprenyl, a selective MAO-B inhibitor, has produced good therapeutic effects in combination either with levodopa alone or with levodopa plus decarboxylase inhibitor in the treatment of end-of-dose akinesia and on-off phenomena. In an open trial with 48 parkinsonian patients deprenyl was added to previous levodopa plus decarboxylase-inhibitor therapy. Good effects were achieved in respect of mild on-off phenomena and end-of-dose akinesia, minor success in the alleviation of dyskinesia and depression. In four further patients with a post-traumatic parkinsonian syndrome, no improvement of rigidospasticity and vigilance was demonstrable.
D000368:Aged; D001545:Benserazide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002230:Carbidopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010627:Phenethylamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012642:Selegiline / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D010627:Phenethylamines; D012642:Selegiline; D007980:Levodopa; D001545:Benserazide; D002230:Carbidopa