An open trial of high-dosage antioxidants in early Parkinson's disease

High dosages of tocopherol and ascorbate were administered to patients with early Parkinson's disease as a preliminary open-labeled trial for the eventual controlled double-blind study evaluating antioxidants as a test of the endogenous toxin hypothesis of the etiology of Parkinson's disease. The primary endpoint of the trial was the need to treat patients with levodopa. The time when levodopa became necessary in the treated patients was compared with another group of patients followed elsewhere and not taking antioxidants. The time when levodopa became necessary was extended by 2.5 y in the group taking antioxidants. The results of this pilot study suggest that the progression of Parkinson's disease may be slowed by the administration of these antioxidants. A large multicenter, controlled clinical trial currently underway in North America evaluating tocopherol and deprenyl has the potential to confirm these results.