title: Can cocaine abuse cause parkinsonism?
abstract: Dopamine deficiency is found in both chronic cocaine abusers and Parkinson's disease. The authors sought to determine whether parkinsonian signs occur in chronic cocaine abusers. Fifty male patients with a history of chronic heavy cocaine abuse were examined on the Unified Parkinson Disease Scale (UPDS) and compared with 20 non-cocaine-abusing, age- and sex-matched control subjects. UPDS scores of cocaine abusers ranged from 0 to 1 (mean: 0.08 +/- 0.28) and, in control subjects, from 0 to 3 (mean: 0.15 +/- 0.49; P = 0.5; NS). This study suggests that chronic heavy cocaine abuse does not cause parkinsonism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Dhopesh
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Yagnik
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Weddington
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000209:etiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D003042:Cocaine; D004298:Dopamine