Clinical aspects of neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease

Clinically a neuroprotective effect can only be presumed under the assumption that impairment of Parkinsonian symptoms, cellular dysfunction and cell degeneration are correlated. From the clinical point of view there is no real chance to demonstrate these correlations. For this reason it seems to be more realistic to differentiate between neuroprotective and functional neuroprotective effects. Bromocriptine as well as selegiline seem to have a functional neuroprotective effect.