Does Addiction Cause Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s Disease Explained

Parkinson’s disease is a brain abnormality with symptoms that show up slowly. It may begin with a simple tremor in an extremity, but the symptoms worsen over time. These symptoms are difficulty walking, shakiness, problems with coordination, difficulty in balancing, and stiffness. Often, those with Parkinson’s are wheelchair-bound by the time the disease has advanced.

Motor symptoms will begin to appear on one side of the body and will usually remain more intense on that side of the body. The first symptoms unrelated to physical movement that appear are difficulties with sleep, depression, memory, and fatigue. This progresses into behavioral and mental changes. Those suffering from Parkinson’s will end up having problems talking and walking. They may also develop dementia. Each person that develops this disorder will show a slightly different range of symptoms due to individualized brain chemistry.

Parkinson’s is caused by the impairment or death of neurons in the brain. These neurons die in the part of the brain responsible for movement. When these cells are healthy, they produce enough dopamine to keep the brain and body running smoothly. The cell death generally occurs in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra, though it can also occur elsewhere. This area of the brain is responsible for almost all dopamine production. Due to cell impairment or death, the neurons of a Parkinson’s patient quit producing enough dopamine causing the tell-tale symptoms.

The nerve endings that produce norepinephrine are also lost as Parkinson’s progresses. Norepinephrine is important in regulating bodily functions such as blood pressure and heart rate. This may also explain symptoms such as fatigue, the slowing of the digestive tract, and why patients experience a drastic decrease in blood pressure when they stand up. Researchers and doctors still do not understand what causes the impairment and cell death that leads to Parkinson’s, and there is no known cure for the disease. Most people who develop Parkinson’s end up dying from the disorder or a complication caused by it.

Who is at Risk for Parkinson’s?

Parkinson’s almost always develops in the elderly. The first symptoms are usually identified around age 60, however, 5 to 10% of patients develop the disease before age 50. One in 100 Americans over age 60 has the disease. Early-onset Parkinson’s is usually a genetic inheritance. Its development may be linked to the mutation of a certain gene.

Men are more likely to develop Parkinson’s instead of women, and around 1 million Americans are diagnosed with the condition. The reason for this is not understood. Individuals usually do not develop symptoms of Parkinson’s until over 80% of the neurons in the substantia nigra have died. Outside of the hypothesized genetic marker that may cause Parkinson’s, no one really knows why the disease strikes, and it’s almost impossible to predict if it’s going to show up in someone’s life.

Some environmental toxins may cause Parkinson’s, but researchers haven’t pinned down which ones. Currently, the link between pesticides and herbicides and the onset of Parkinson’s is of interest to scientists. Lewy bodies are important to Parkinson’s researchers and may hold the key to what causes Parkinson’s and how to cure it. They are not generally present in the brains of healthy individuals. Lewy bodies contain clumps of a specific protein that cells are unable to break down. Why this happens is unknown, but studying this phenomenon is at the forefront of Parkinson’s research.

Sometimes antipsychotic medications cause symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, like unregulated motor movements. Usually, these symptoms subside when the medication is changed or reduced. People that are susceptible to strokes may experience an onset of Parkinson’s disease. This is because the strokes cause parts of the brain to die, and the parts that die may be the same as the parts affected by Parkinson’s.

Dopamine’s Key Role in Parkinson’s Explained

In order to understand the link between drug addiction and Parkinson’s disease, it’s important to understand the role dopamine plays in both. Dopamine is the top controller of movement and environmental interaction and it also rules our reasons for these interactions.

The cells in the brain that transmit information are called neurons. These neurons rely on chemicals called neurotransmitters to pass information around in the brain. Any disruption of the natural neurotransmission process can cause drastic consequences.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that dominates our emotions and our motivations. It affects our ability to perceive punishment and reward. Our brain’s neurons work as a circuit, and the circuits controlling behavior are dopamine-dependent. Dopamine not only drives us to seek pleasure, but it is also responsible for creating pleasure.

Drugs create large amounts of dopamine while causing euphoria. Eventually, the brain becomes dependent on this dopamine dump to function. The link between drug consumption and pleasure becomes burned into the brain, and the brain begins to prioritize drug consumption over other life activities. The drugs are now the supplier of dopamine instead of the user’s body.

This altering of neurons in the brain in relation to dopamine mirrors Parkinson’s in some cases, as the neurons in Parkinson’s patients are also damaged with regard to dopamine. Basically, the use of substances causes chemical imbalances in the brain that can trigger the development of Parkinson’s.