The Effect of Rasagiline on Cognition in Parkinson's Disease
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2014-02-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
While Parkinson's disease has historically been defined in terms of its motor symptomatology,
studies have shown that non-motor deficits form an important part of the syndrome. Cognitive
deficits can occur even in the early stages of Parkinson's disease. These deficits are often
subtle and do not rise to the level of impairment necessary for a diagnosis of dementia;
however these deficits are discernable with neuropsychological testing and may produce
subjective complaints of cognitive decline and mild functional difficulties in some patients.
The traditional pharmacological interventions for Parkinson's disease have focused on
controlling and alleviating motor symptoms with levodopa and dopamine agonists. However,
these medications treat the symptoms of PD, but do not alter the course or progression of the
underlying disorder. In contrast, rasagiline, an MAO-B inhibitor, has recently shown benefits
consistent with a possible disease-modifying effect. Given the positive and intriguing
findings seen with treatment with rasagiline, the investigators propose to study the effects
of this medication on cognition in patients with mild to moderate stage Parkinson's disease.
Hypotheses:
1. Rasagiline will improve cognitive function, as measured by performance on
neuropsychological tests in PD patients who do not suffer from dementia.
2. Rasagiline will not negatively affect neuropsychiatric functioning.