The thrill of reckless driving in patients with Parkinson's disease: an additional behavioural phenomenon in dopamine dysregulation syndrome?

Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2008;14(3):257-8. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2007.04.006. Epub 2007 Jun 11.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Automobile Driving*
  • Dopamine Agents / administration & dosage
  • Dopamine Agents / adverse effects
  • Humans
  • Levodopa / administration & dosage
  • Levodopa / adverse effects
  • Male
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy
  • Parkinson Disease / physiopathology*
  • Parkinson Disease / psychology*
  • Psychomotor Performance / drug effects
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology*

Substances

  • Dopamine Agents
  • Levodopa