The thrill of reckless driving in patients with Parkinson's disease: an additional behavioural phenomenon in dopamine dysregulation syndrome?
We report two male patients with Parkinson's disease who developed compulsive risk-seeking driving behaviour as a result of self-administering high doses of L-dopa despite an adequate therapeutic response at lower doses. When L-dopa reduction was feasible, it resulted in cessation of unsafe driving. We believe that this impairment in driving performance, due to deliberate overuse of dopaminergic medication, should be included as a new behavioural phenomenon in dopamine dysregulation syndrome.
Avanzi
Maurizio
M
Division on Addiction, Hospital of Cortemaggiore, AUSL of Piacenza, Italy. maurizioava@hotmail.com
Baratti
Mario
M
Cabrini
Silvia
S
Uber
Elena
E
Brighetti
Gianni
G
Bonfà
Flavio
F
D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D015259:Dopamine Agents; D007980:Levodopa