The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a key role in both addiction and Parkinson's disease. Addiction is marked by persistently elevated levels of dopamine, Parkinson's by persistently depleted levels. Many Parkinson's patients are therefore treated with medications called dopamine agonists - medications that mimic dopamine. Dr. Alain Dagher, co-author of the review and a neurologist at MNI, commented on the findings:
"In some instances Parkinson's disease (PD) patients become addicted to their own medication, or develop behavioural addictions such as pathological gambling, compulsive shopping or hypersexuality. ... This is surprising because PD patients typically have a very low incidence of drug abuse and display a personality type that is the opposite of the typical addictive personality. These rare, addictive syndromes, which appear to result from excessive dopaminergic treatment, illustrate the link between dopamine, personality and addiction."
Labels: addiction, disease, parkinson's
Posted By: Aspen Education Group