ABSTRACT
With the current limitations on treating Parkinsonãs disease, neuroprotection should be looked at as a possible way of slowing the varying processes involved in the onset of the disease. A review was made of the work of NINDS experts, who evaluated 59 drugs resulting from their Medline and Pub Med search. Twelve drugs, those considered the most promising, were included in the final analysis. We look at such substances as caffeine, coenzyme q10, estrogens, minocycline, nicotine, rasagiline-selegiline, and ropinirole-pramipexole. These agents acted dissimilarly, but favorably, on some of the diseaseãs processes or on its underlying pathogenesis, although the mechanisms involved and the duration of the beneficial effects were not clear. The challenge is to overcome the difficulties that make the results of the few current studies uncertain, using new methods, such as transgenic models, to maintain hope for effective future treatments.