Patients who are experiencing ‘wearing-off’ may benefit from taking a monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor (MAO-B inhibitor).1,2 MAO-B inhibitors inhibit the breakdown of either dopamine or levodopa in the body, thus prolonging their therapeutic effect and time spent in ‘ON’ states.2 MAO-B inhibitors may be used during early PD, before the patient moves on to more potent treatments, such as dopamine agonists or levodopa.2
COMT=catechol-O-methyltransferase; MAO-A=monoamine oxidase type A; MAO-B=monoamine oxidase type B; MAOBI=monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor; PD=Parkinson’s disease
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