Deprenyl in the treatment of symptom fluctuations in advanced Parkinson's disease.

Author(s): Golbe LI, Lieberman AN, Muenter MD, Ahlskog JE, Gopinathan G, Neophytides AN, Foo SH, Duvoisin RC

Affiliation(s): Department of Neurology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick 08903.

Publication date & source: 1988-02, Clin Neuropharmacol., 11(1):45-55.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial

Deprenyl, a selective inhibitor of monoamine oxidase, type B, which is free of the "tyramine effect," may ameliorate symptom fluctuations in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). We randomized 96 patients with marked symptom fluctuations at three centers to receive either deprenyl 5 mg b.i.d. or placebo in parallel fashion in addition to a previously optimized levodopa/carbidopa (Sinemet) regimen. Disability was recorded hourly at home by patients 3 days weekly during the 2-week baseline and the 6-week treatment period. Disability during the "on" state was assessed each week by examination. Mean hourly self-assessment of gait improved in 28 of 50 patients (56%) receiving deprenyl (mean degree of improvement 0.25 points on a 0-2 scale) and in 14 of 46 (30.4%) taking placebo (mean 0.15). Mean hourly overall symptom control improved in 29 (58%) taking deprenyl (mean 0.34) and in 12 (26.1%) taking placebo (mean 0.15) (p less than 0.01 for each parameter). No significant improvement occurred in the objective quality of the "on" state with deprenyl. Mean daily Sinemet dosage decreases were 17% in the deprenyl group and 7% in the placebo group. Adverse effects included nausea, light-headedness, dyskinesias, and hallucinations, all of which abated after the Sinemet dose was reduced. We conclude that deprenyl is of moderate benefit in a majority of patients with symptom fluctuations complicating PD and is generally well tolerated.