CAN COCAINE ABUSE CAUSE PARKINSONISM

Dopamine deficiency is found in both chronic cocaine abusers and Parki nson's disease. The authors sought to determine whether parkinsonian s igns occur in chronic cocaine abusers. Fifty male patients with a hist ory of chronic heavy cocaine abuse were examined on the Unified Parkin son Disease Scale (UPDS) and compared with 20 non-cocaine-abusing, age - and sex-matched control subjects. UPDS scores of cocaine abusers ran ged 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 chr onic heavy cocaine abuse does not cause parkinsonism.