The potential use of vitamin E and selenium in parkinsonism

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative illness which affects a significant number of the older population. Its treatment, which consists mostly of the dopamine precursor, L-Dopa, is associated with various complications. Research which has been conducted in order to develop drugs which might be without these toxic side-effects has not so far been met with a great degree of success. Recently the development of a parkinson-like syndrome in addicts who were using the compound methyl-phenyl-pyridine has refocused attention on the possible participation of free radicals in the etiology of PD. Herein it is postulated that the use of the free radical scavengers, vitamin E and selenium, might be effective in the early treatment of PD and might help to circumvent some of the complications associated with agonists therapy.