ArticleslgStudy

science

Pharmacology of selegiline

Pharmacology of selegiline is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pharmacology of selegiline rather than just read about it. In short: The pharmacology of selegiline pertains to the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of the antiparkinsonian and antidepressant selegiline (L-deprenyl). Selegiline is available in a few different forms, including oral tablets and capsules, orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs), and transdermal patches.

Pharmacology of selegiline — main illustration
Pharmacology of selegiline — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Pharmacology of selegiline belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Pharmacology of selegiline to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Pharmacology of selegiline from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The pharmacology of selegiline pertains to the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of the antiparkinsonian and antidepressant selegiline (L-deprenyl). Selegiline is available in a few different forms, including oral tablets and capsules, orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs), and transdermal patches. These forms have differing pharmacological properties. In terms of pharmacodynamics, selegiline acts as a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor. It is a selective inhibitor of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) at lower doses but additionally inhibits monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) at higher doses. MAO-B inhibition is thought to result in increased levels of dopamine and β-phenethylamine, whereas MAO-A inhibition results in increased levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Selegiline is also a catecholaminergic activity enhancer (CAE) and enhances the action potential-evoked release of norepinephrine and dopamine. Through its active metabolites levomethamphetamine and levoamphetamine, selegiline acts as a weak norepinephrine and/or dopamine releasing agent. The clinical significance of this action is unclear, but it may be relevant to the effects and side effects of selegiline, especially at higher doses. With regard to pharmacokinetics, the bioavailability of the oral form is 4 to 10%, of the ODT is 5 to 8 times that of the oral form, and of the transdermal patch is 75%. The plasma protein binding of selegiline is 85 to 90%. It is metabolized extensively in the liver by the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2B6 among other enzymes. Metabolites of selegiline include desmethylselegiline (DMS), levomethamphetamine, and levoamphetamine. The oral form of selegiline is subject to strong first-pass metabolism and levels of the metabolites of selegiline are much lower with the ODT and transdermal patch forms than with the oral form. The elimination half-lives of selegiline and its metabolites range from 1.2 to 10 hours for selegiline, 2.2 to 9.5 hours for DMS, 14 to 21 hours for levomethamphetamine, and 16 to 18 hours for levoamphetamine. Selegiline and its metabolites are eliminated mainly in urine, with its metabolites accounting for the vast majority of eliminated material in the case of the oral form.

Pharmacodynamics

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Pharmacology of selegiline illustration
Pharmacology of selegiline: Metabolism of selegiline. (R)-Methamphetamine (levomethamphetamine) and (R)-amphetamine (levoamphetamine) are not extensively metabolized and are excreted substantially unchanged so their metabolic profiles are omitted.
Metabolism of selegiline. (R)-Methamphetamine (levomethamphetamine) and (R)-amphetamine (levoamphetamine) are not extensively metabolized and are excreted substantially unchanged so their metabolic profiles are omitted.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pharmacology of selegiline

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pharmacology of selegiline claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pharmacology of selegiline before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pharmacology of selegiline ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pharmacology of selegiline

In research
Pharmacology of selegiline appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Pharmacology of selegiline in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Pharmacology of selegiline is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Medication pharmacology, Selegiline, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Pharmacology of selegiline outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Pharmacology of selegiline” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Pharmacology of selegiline in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Pharmacology of selegiline means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Pharmacology of selegiline out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pharmacology of selegiline in simple terms?

The pharmacology of selegiline pertains to the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of the antiparkinsonian and antidepressant selegiline (L-deprenyl). Selegiline is available in a few different forms, including oral tablets and capsules, orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs), and transder…

Why does Pharmacology of selegiline matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pharmacology of selegiline?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pharmacology of selegiline.

Tags

  • Medication pharmacology
  • Selegiline

Keep exploring