Emerging treatments in Parkinson's disease

This paper provides a critical review on the most recent developments in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. New symptomatic therapies include the use of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors, new dopamine agonists and of surgical treatments (such as pallidotomy or deep brain stimulation). Protective strategies include the use of COMT and monoamine oxidase B inhibitors, of dopamine agonists and of trophic factors. The main preclinical premises, on which the usage of newly developed therapies is based, are discussed. Symptomatic therapy has been greatly refined in recent years and has gradually become a polytherapeutic approach. Protective therapy, which will attract the interest of fundamental and clinical research in the field of Parkinson's disease, is the real future challenge.