Initiation of Parkinson's disease treatment.

Parkinson therapy should be commenced as soon as patients feel impaired by motor or other symptoms. Recently it has been stated, however, to start treatment immediately after the diagnosis of PD has been made, in order to offer some neuroprotection to active dopaminergic neurons and to prevent deleterious compensatory mechanisms in dopaminergic cells. The selection of the medication depends on the state of the disease, the clinical symptoms, concomitant diseases and age. In de novo patients, most guidelines, including those of the German Neurological Society, advocate to start with a dopamine agonist. In my opinion, initial treatment with a MAO-B-inhibitor and subsequent combination with a long-acting dopamine agonist may be even more promising with regard to neuroprotection, modification of the disease, avoidance of dyskinesia and good motor improvement.