Artistic profession: a potential risk factor for dopamine dysregulation syndrome in Parkinson's disease?

A small proportion of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) develop a dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS). Management of such patients can be difficult; hence, early identification and careful monitoring of at-risk individuals are important. Based on four illustrative cases, we wish to draw attention to the risk of developing DDS in PD patients engaged in a creative and artistic profession, who compulsively abuse dopaminergic drugs to maintain or enhance their artistic creativity.

Case of a palatal tic resembling palatal tremor in a patient with Tourette syndrome.

We describe a case of a palatal tic resembling palatal tremor (PT) in a young female patient with a previously unrecognized mild Tourette syndrome. At the time of her visit, the patient complained about ear clicks that were audible to others. We discuss the differential diagnoses of hyperkinetic palatal movements emphasizing the ongoing discussion about essential PT representing a more heterogeneous disorder than previously thought.

The natural course of MRI white matter hyperintensities.

The rate and extent of progression of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) over time in elderly subjects is yet unclear. These abnormalities may represent an early form of subcortical vascular dementia. As to whether such changes could be used, as a surrogate marker for this subtype of vascular dementia remains to be determined.