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.
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Neuropsychopharmacology
January 2025
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel)
December 2024
Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Section of Legal Medicine, Social Security and Forensic Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Drugged driving is associated with an increased risk of road accidents worldwide. In Italy, driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and drugs is a reason for driving disqualification or revocation of the driving license. Drivers charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs must attend a Local Medical Commission (LMC) to undergo mandatory examinations to regain the suspended license.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Med
December 2024
Ophthalmology Unit, Head and Neck Department, Policlinico Umberto I University Hospital, 00161 Rome, Italy.
This comprehensive review examines the ocular vascular complications of cocaine use, focusing on its effects on retinal vasculature and inflammation. A rare case of bilateral frosted branch angiitis (FBA) in a 48-year-old man with a history of intranasal cocaine abuse is presented as an illustrative example to stimulate discussion. The case highlights severe retinal ischemia and vascular sheathing, with no identifiable infectious or autoimmune cause, ultimately complicated by systemic vascular events.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuroscience
January 2025
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address:
Cocaine abstinence and withdrawal are linked to relapse, heightened anxiety, and depressive-like symptoms. While L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) have been associated with cocaine use disorders in humans and drug-seeking behavior in rodent models, their role in mood-related symptoms during cocaine abstinence remains unclear. This study examined whether blocking LTCCs with isradipine could alter anxiety and depressive symptoms induced by cocaine abstinence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Cardiology, Lower Bucks Hospital, Bristol, USA.
This case report presents a 37-year-old male with a complex medical history, including HIV, chronic methamphetamine and cocaine use, and an atrial septal defect, who developed severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), biventricular failure, and recurrent stroke. The patient was admitted with acute neurological deficits and respiratory failure, which rapidly progressed despite intensive management. Laboratory and imaging studies revealed severe cardiac dysfunction and elevated pulmonary vascular resistance.
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