Neuroprotective Effects of Rasagiline in Parkinson's Disease: A Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Despite accumulating evidence for the clinical efficacy and neuroprotective properties of rasagiline in Parkinson's disease (PD), effects of rasagiline on brain perfusion in PD patients have not been elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of rasagiline on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with PD using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). METHODS A total of 44 PD patients were recruited and treated with dopamine agonist, either alone or in combination with levodopa. Twenty-two of these patients (referred to as the rasagiline group) additionally received rasagiline (1 mg/day). All patients underwent brain SPECT scans and clinical assessments at baseline and follow-up visits. The mean follow-up period was 2.2 years. Changes in rCBF were compared between the rasagiline group and the comparison group in a voxel-wise manner. RESULTS Annual change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score was lower in the rasagiline group compared to the comparison group (P = .01). A significant group-by-time interaction effect on rCBF was found in the right precuneus (P = .001), where rCBF was decreased in the comparison group and remained stable in the rasagiline group. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that adjunctive rasagiline treatment had beneficial effects on perfusion in the precuneus of PD patients, suggesting potential neuroprotective effects.