DATATOP-study: significance of its results in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

There are a number of promissing findings suggesting a "neuroprotective" effect of selegiline in animal models of parkinsonism. In contrast thereto, neither the DATATOP study nor more recently reported clinical trials were able to clearly demonstrate an effect on the natural course of disease progression, especially as the analysis of the clinical findings is confounded by the symptomatic effect of selegiline. At present, treatment with selegiline in otherwise untreated parkinsonian patients allows to postpone the treatment with levodopa or to keep the levodopa dosage on a lower level.