Deprenyl (selegiline) combined with levodopa and a decarboxylase inhibitor in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

The purpose of this double-blind placebo controlled study was to estimate how much the levodopa dosage can be reduced, when deprenyl is used, without worsening the disease and to see whether deprenyl can reduce the "off-periods". The trial included 40 patients of both sexes with at least 3 years history of Parkinson's disease who were undergoing stabilized levodopa therapy. The deprenyl dosage was 5 mg daily in the first 4 weeks. The levodopa dosage was reduced until there was demonstrable impairment. The trial demonstrates that with deprenyl the levodopa dosage can be reduced considerably without prejudicing the therapeutic outcome. Some patients showed improvement, and the "off-periods" were reduced in many cases.