MONOTHERAPY SELEGILINE TRIAL IN DE-NOVO P ARKINSONIAN-PATIENTS

The French selegiline (S) multicenter trial was conducted in 1990 to t est the possibility to improve symptomatology of de novo parkinsonian patients (PP) during the first three months of treatment by monotherap y S 10 mg/day. A randomized double blind placebo, parallel controlled trial was carried out on 93 patients in 13 neurologic centers. S appea rs superior to placebo. Global scores and motor subscores of UPDRS are improved (p < 0.001, p < 0.01) from the first to the third month. Sid e effects are minor (nausea, dysgueusia, vertigo, lipothymia) and hard ly different in both groups. S thus appears as inducing a rapid and mo derate symptomatic effect in de novo PP, during a 3 months long period of treatment.