Effects of smoking in patients with early-onset Parkinson's disease.
Smoking a cigarette relieved symptoms in 6 patients with early-onset Parkinson's disease. In these patients smoking reduced tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and gait disturbance including frozen gait. These effects lasted for about 10-30 min, and relieved parkinsonian symptoms in the off-period. Nicotine chewing gum had a lesser effect. Nicotine is thought to activate the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway and increase the release of dopamine in the striatum, and this can explain the effects of smoking in these patients.
Ishikawa
A
A
Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Japan.
Miyatake
T
T
D000328:Adult; D002638:Chewing Gum; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D012907:Smoking; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
D002638:Chewing Gum; D009538:Nicotine; D004298:Dopamine