Effects of an alpha 2 antagonist in a 20-year-old Java monkey with MPTP-induced parkinsonian signs

The study attempted to verify whether activation of locus coeruleus neurons by alpha 2 antagonists might improve parkinsonian signs. Treatment with the racemic alpha 2 antagonist R 47 243 of a monkey with MPTP-induced parkinsonian signs normalized blink rate, reduced resting tremor, and improved several other parkinsonian signs. In a second experiment, the (-)-isomer R 62 651 produced a gradual change in tremor which was the inverse of the mannner in which tremor had become installed as the result of progression earlier upon the MPTP challenge. It is proposed that further research be conducted to determine whether alpha 2 antagonists may beneficially influence the progression of Parkinson's disease.