Abstract |
Rasagiline is a monoamine oxidase type-B inhibitor used as monotherapy or in addition to levodopa in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). This naturalistic single-blind study was aimed at evaluating the rapidity of onset effect of rasagiline on motor symptoms in a cohort of early relatively elderly PD patients. 102 outpatients (55 males, median age 71 years) have been selected: 26 were PD therapy-naive and 76 received rasagiline as add-on therapy. The third section of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRSIII) and the Hoehn-Yahr (HY) scale were assessed at baseline and after 1 and 4 weeks thereafter. The mean UPDRS III total score (-6.7 at week 1 and -8.9 at week 4) and single items, as well as mean HY score (-0.40 at week 1 and -0.67 at week 4), significantly decreased from baseline (p < 0.001). Improvements were significant in both therapy-naive and add-on therapy patients: the mean decreases from baseline to week 4 in UPDRSIII and HY score were -8.8 and -0.46, and -9.0 and -0.74, respectively, in the two subgroups. The mean decrease from baseline in UPDRSIII and HY score did not significantly differ in patients aged > or ≤71 years. Rasagiline had a rapid therapeutic effect from the first week of therapy, which further improved at 4 weeks. The rapid onset of action and the absence of a dose titration are important issues in the management of the PD patient.
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Authors | Sandro Zambito Marsala, Roberta Vitaliani, Daniele Volpe, Francesca Capozzoli, Luciana Baroni, Enrico Belgrado, Carlo Borsato, Manuela Gioulis, Corrado Marchini, Angelo Antonini |
Journal | Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology
(Neurol Sci)
Vol. 34
Issue 11
Pg. 2007-13
(Nov 2013)
ISSN: 1590-3478 [Electronic] Italy |
PMID | 23636872
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Observational Study)
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Chemical References |
- Antiparkinson Agents
- Indans
- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
- rasagiline
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Topics |
- Aged
- Antiparkinson Agents
(therapeutic use)
- Female
- Humans
- Indans
(therapeutic use)
- Male
- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
(therapeutic use)
- Parkinson Disease
(drug therapy, physiopathology)
- Single-Blind Method
- Treatment Outcome
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