Nomifensine in Parkinson's disease

1. Eight patients who failed or ceased to respond to levodopa, or who had developed the "on-off" phenomenon were treated additionally with nomifensine. 2. The dosage of nomifensine started at 50 mg, was increased to 150 mg daily, and other medication was continued unchanged. The duration of treatment was from 2-5 months. Assessments were carried out at 2-week intervals using a validated rating scale. 4. Loss of dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurones characterizes Parkinson's disease, and it is probably for this reason that indirect dopamine (DA) agonists, whose actions depend on intact presynaptic mechanisms, are less active. 3. Nomifensine was not shown to be of antiparkinsonian value in these patients but may be of value as an antidepressant in patients with Parkinson's disease.