Summary
The effects of L-deprenyl were investigated in 47 parkinsonian patients under chronic levodopa treatment with our without on-off phenomena. During a 1 to 3 months' treatment 5–10 mg of L-deprenyl caused a significant reduction in on-off disabilities in 23 out of 34 patients (68%). The improvement was only moderate (38%) or minimal (30%). All patterns of akinetic on-off disabilities showed improvement. Peak-dose dyskinesias were aggravated in 20 patients.
The addition of L-deprenyl to levodopa treatment caused a further significant improvement in parkinsonian disability. Responses to L-deprenyl were similar in patients treated with levodopa alone and in those treated with levodopa combined with a decarboxylase inhibitor.
L-deprenyl induced a significant increase in the urinary excretion of dopamine but not in that of VMA or 5-HIAA. Concentrations of HVA and 5-HIAA in the CSF remained unchanged during L-deprenyl treatment.
It was concluded that L-deprenyl seems to provide a valuable adjuvant to levodopa in patients with on-off disabilities.
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Rinne, U.K., Siirtola, T. & Sonninen, V. L-deprenyl treatment of on-off phenomena in Parkinson's disease. J. Neural Transmission 43, 253–262 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01246962
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01246962