SOME NEW ASPECTS OF THE EFFECT OF (-)DEPRENYL IN PARKINSONS-DISEASE - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

50 de novo patients with Parkinson's disease were investigated in a retrospective study after selegiline (-)deprenyl monotherapy and a combination of (-)deprenyl and levodopa. The study involved subjects with different Hoehn-Yahr stages (I, II, III, IV). During the treatment period the distribution of age (below 60 yr or above 60 yr) among the Hoehn-Yahr stages was similar to that of the baseline period, while the clinical disability for the patients starting with hypokinesis meant a more severe state compared to the cases with tremor. The sex ratio was similar during the baseline period but later, during the administration of deprenyl, the progression of males was slower than that of females. (-)Deprenyl was effective in decreasing the hypokinesis, while the rigidity was improved less by this drug. The reduction of parkinsonian symptoms developed slowly and was independent of the severity of Parkinson's disease. The maintenance of deprenyl monotherapy showed a high individual variation but the average period was about one year. The termination of the effect of deprenyl was rapid, however, not progressive. The time of the appearance of the side effects of additional levodopa was not delayed by deprenyl treatment. After five years the severity of disease was similar to the baseline disability scores in spite of the combined therapy with levodopa and deprenyl.