ARE METABOLITES OF 1-DEPRENYL (SELEGILINE) USEFUL OR HARMFUL - INDICATIONS FROM PRECLINICAL RESEARCH

A frequent topic of controversy has been whether metabolism of l-depre nyl (selegiline) to active metabolites is a detriment to clinical use. This paper reviews possible roles of the metabolites of l-deprenyl in producing unwanted adverse side effects or in augmenting or mediating its clinically useful actions. Levels of l-amphetamine and l-methamph etamine likely to be reached, even with excessive intake of l-deprenyl , would be unlikely to produce neurotoxicity and there is no preclinic al or clinical evidence of abuse liability of l-deprenyl. In contrast, there is evidence that l-amphetamine and 1-methamphetamine have some qualitatively different actions than their disomer counterparts on EEG and cognitive functioning which might result in beneficial clinical e ffects and complement beneficial clinical actions of 1-deprenyl itself .