Long-term persistence of symptomatic effect of selegiline in Parkinson's disease. A two-months placebo-controlled withdrawal study

Following a two-months of placebo-controlled withdrawal, the MAO-B inhibito r selegiline was found to maintain a long term significant mild to moderate symptomatic effect on bradykinesia and tremor at rest in nine patients wit h Parkinson's disease (stage II and III of H&Y), whose functional impairmen t had also required a dopaminergic therapy with low-dose bromocriptine. Bot h motor signs found worsened during the wash-out showed a full recovery to pre-withdrawal condition within two months after reinstitution of the drug.