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Increased life expectancy resulting from addition of l-deprenyl to Madopar® treatment in Parkinson's disease: A longterm study

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Summary

In an open, uncontrolled study the longterm (9 years) effect of treatment with Madopar® alone (n=377) or in combination with l-deprenyl (selegiline, selective monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor) (n=564) have been compared in Parkinsonian patients. In patients who lost their response to conventional Madopar therapy the addition of l-deprenyl resulted in a significant recouping of levodopa effect. The survival analysis revealed a significant increase of life expectancy in Madopar-l-deprenyl group regardless of the fact whether or not the significant demographic differences between the two groups were taken into account. Although the mechanism underlying this action of l-deprenyl is not known, the results are interpreted as indicating l-deprenyl's ability to prevent or retard the degeneration of striatal dopaminergic neurons. l-Deprenyl is the first anti-Parkinson drug having such a property. This hypothesis is not far fetched since l-deprenyl selectively prevents the degeneration of striatal dopaminergic neurons induced in animals by the illicit drug l-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Since latter compound is known to cause Parkinsonism in man and primates or Parkinson-like neurochemical and pathological changes in other animals the implications of the present study involving monoamine oxidase activity and l-deprenyl are apparent.

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Author notes

  1. W. Birkmayer

    Present address: Evangelical Hospital, Rossauer Lände, Vienna, Austria

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, Semmelweis University, Medical School, Budapest, Hungary

    J. Knoll

  2. Ludwig Boltzmann-Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, Neurochemistry Group, Lainz-Hospital, Vienna, Austria

    P. Riederer

  3. Technion-Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Rappaport Family Research Institute, Haifa, Israel

    M. B. H. Youdim

  4. Department of Clinical Research and Biometrics, Chinoin Pharmaceutical and Chemical Works, Ltd., Budapest, Hungary

    Vera Hars & J. Marton

Authors
  1. W. Birkmayer
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  2. J. Knoll
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  3. P. Riederer
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  4. M. B. H. Youdim
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  5. Vera Hars
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  6. J. Marton
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Birkmayer, W., Knoll, J., Riederer, P. et al. Increased life expectancy resulting from addition of l-deprenyl to Madopar® treatment in Parkinson's disease: A longterm study. J. Neural Transmission 64, 113–127 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01245973

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01245973

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