Rasagiline is a selective, irreversible MAO-B inhibitor indicated for the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The results of a clinical trial designed to examine the effects of rasagiline tablets on blood pressure when it is administered with increasing doses of tyramine indicates the functional selectivity can be incomplete when healthy subjects ingest large amounts of tyramine while receiving recommended doses of rasagiline tablets. The selectivity for inhibiting MAO-B diminishes in a dose-related manner. One mechanism is believed to be related to its MAO-B inhibitory activity, which causes an increase in extracellular levels of dopamine in the striatum. The elevated dopamine level and subsequent increased dopaminergic activity are likely to mediate rasagiline’s beneficial effects seen in models of dopaminergic motor dysfunction.