A Double-Blind, Controlled Study of High-Dose L-Deprenyl in the Treatment of Parkinsonʼs Disease

The conventional dose of deprenyl used in Parkinson's disease is 10 mg/day, having been established by in vitro platelet studies and clinical evaluation. Twelve patients with Parkinson's disease on treatment with L-dopa who showed evidence of wearing-off effects or motor oscillation were studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial to compare conventional doses of deprenyl with higher doses (up to 40 mg/day) and placebo. We did not find higher doses of deprenyl to be superior to conventional doses and in 17% of cases treatment had to be withdrawn because of side effects.