Dhopesh V P, Yagnik P M, Weddington W W
Department of Neurology, VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Am J Addict. 1997 Spring;6(2):177-9.
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.
