What class of drugs does Selegiline/imidopyr belong to?

Selegiline/midopir (Selegiline) is a commonly used clinical anti Parkinson's disease drug and is a selective monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitor. The main mechanism of action of this type of drug is to inhibit the decomposition of dopamine in the brain by MAO-B enzyme, thereby prolonging and enhancing the effect of dopamine and improving the patient's motor function. The core pathological feature of Parkinson's disease is the gradual loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, resulting in a lack of dopamine in the brain, causing typical symptoms such as slow movement, tremor, and stiffness. The application of selegiline is to delay dopamine depletion and provide patients with smoother movement control.

Pharmacologically, selegiline selectively acts onMAO-B without significantly affecting MAO-A, so it is less likely to cause the "cheese reaction" that interacts with tyramine in the diet at therapeutic doses. This makes selegiline safer than traditional non-selective MAO inhibitors. In addition to being used alone, selegiline is often used in combination with levodopa. When patients with Parkinson's disease experience fluctuations in efficacy or dose reduction after levodopa treatment, the addition of selegiline can prolong the action time of levodopa in the body, thereby reducing the "switch phenomenon" and improving the stability of motor symptoms.

It is worth noting that in addition to being used for Parkinson's disease, selegiline has also been explored in some countries for its value in the treatment of depression. Because its metabolites include L-methamphetamine, which can slightly increase central nervous system excitability, some studies believe that it may have certain potential in improving depression and cognitive function. In recent years, selegiline has also appeared in the form of transdermal patches, which are mainly used in patients with refractory depression. However, in the field of Parkinson's disease, oral dosage forms are still the mainstay.

Reference: https://www.drugs.com/mtm/selegiline.html