Abstract

The symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease are due mainly to progressive degeneration of the dopaminergic nigro-striatal pathways in the brain. The drugs which can help fall into five categories: dopamine replacement, using dopa with a decarboxylase inhibitor; a dopamine agonist, bromocriptine;¹ selegiline, recently introduced, which inhibits monoamine oxidase B; anticholinergic drugs; and amantadine.² This article discusses recent ideas about the management of Parkinson’s disease, particularly about levodopa dosage, bromocriptine and selegiline.