EMERGING TREATMENTS IN PARKINSONS-DISEASE

This paper provides a critical review on the most recent developments in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. New symptomatic therapies inc lude the use of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors, new do pamine agonists and of surgical treatments (such as pallidotomy or dee p brain stimulation). Protective strategies include the use of COMT an d monoamine oxidase B inhibitors, of dopamine agonists and of trophic factors. The main preclinical premises, on which the usage of newly de veloped therapies is based, are discussed. Symptomatic therapy has bee n greatly refined in recent years and has gradually become a polythera peutic approach. Protective therapy, which will attract the interest o f fundamental and clinical research in the field of Parkinson's diseas e, is the real future challenge.