Pathological Gambling Caused by Drugs Used to Treat Parkinson Disease
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pathological gambling is a rare potential complication related to treatment of Parkinson disease (PD). However, the etiology of this behavior is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between medical therapy for PD and pathological gambling. METHODS: In our routine movement disorders practice (2002-2004), we encountered 11 patients with idiopathic PD who had recently developed pathological gambling. We assessed the relationship to their medical therapy and compared them with cases identified by systematic review of the existing literature on pathological gambling and PD. RESULTS: All 11 patients with PD and pathological gambling were taking therapeutic doses of a dopamine agonist; 3 of these patients were not treated with levodopa. In 7 patients, pathological gambling developed within 3 months of starting to take or escalating the dose of the agonist; in the other 4 with a longer latency, gambling resolved after the agonist use was discontinued. Pramipexole dihydrochloride was the agonist in 9 of 11 cases in our series and 10 of 17 in the literature (68% in total). CONCLUSIONS: Dopamine agonist therapy was associated with potentially reversible pathological gambling, and pramipexole was the medication predominantly implicated. This may relate to disproportionate stimulation of dopamine D(3) receptors, which are primarily localized to the limbic system.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In many patients with DDS, discontinuation of dopaminergic medication resolved their pathological gambling.
“Interestingly, in many of these patients, discontinuation of their dopaminergic medication resolved their pathological gambling (Dodd et al., 2005).”
From Cued for Risk: Evidence for an Incentive Sensitization Framework to Explain the Interplay between Stress and Anxiety, Substance Abuse, and Reward Uncertainty in Disordered Gambling Behavior (2019) · cites this paper as Dodd et al., 2005
DDS occurs in a small proportion of Parkinson's patients being treated with dopamine agonist medication.
“DDS occurs in a small proportion of Parkinson’s patients being treated with dopamine agonist medication (Dodd et al., 2005; Evans, Lawrence, Cresswell, Katzenschlager, & Lees, 2010; Evans et al., 2006).”
From Cued for Risk: Evidence for an Incentive Sensitization Framework to Explain the Interplay between Stress and Anxiety, Substance Abuse, and Reward Uncertainty in Disordered Gambling Behavior (2019) · cites this paper as Dodd et al., 2005
Cites
Sokoloff, P., Bruno Giros, A., Martres, M., Bouthenet, M.-L., & Schwartz, J. (1990) · Nature · doi:10.1038/347146a0 · Cited by 2,608 · see citing works
Getting formal with dopamine and reward
Schultz, W. (2002) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/s0896-6273(02)00967-4 · Cited by 2,574 · see citing works
Anticipation of Increasing Monetary Reward Selectively Recruits Nucleus Accumbens
Knutson, B., Adams, C. M., Fong, G. W., & Hommer, D. (2001) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.21-16-j0002.2001 · Cited by 2,244 · see citing works
Giovannoni, G. (2000) · Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry · doi:10.1136/jnnp.68.4.423 · Cited by 587 · see citing works
Pathological gambling associated with dopamine agonist therapy in Parkinson’s disease
Driver‐Dunckley, E. D., Samanta, J., & Stacy, M. A. (2003) · Neurology · doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000076478.45005.ec · Cited by 317 · see citing works
Dopamine Transmission in the Human Striatum during Monetary Reward Tasks
Zald, D. H., Boileau, I., El-Dearedy, W., Gunn, R., McGlone, F., Dichter, G. S., & Dagher, A. (2004) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.4643-03.2004 · Cited by 238 · see citing works
Gerlach, M., Double, K. L., Arzberger, T., Leblhuber, F., Tatschner, T., & Riederer, P. F. (2003) · Journal of Neural Transmission · doi:10.1007/s00702-003-0027-5 · Cited by 187 · see citing works
Piercey, M. F. (1998) · PubMed · Cited by 157 · see citing works
Perachon, S., Schwartz, J.-C., & Sokoloff, P. (1999) · European Journal of Pharmacology · doi:10.1016/s0014-2999(98)00896-6 · Cited by 157 · see citing works
Disabling repetitive behaviors in Parkinson's disease
Kurlan, R. (2003) · Movement Disorders · doi:10.1002/mds.10625 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Genetics of Pathological Gambling
Ibáñez, Á., Blanco, C., de Castro, I. P., Fernández‐Piqueras, J., & Sáiz-Ruiz, J. (2003) · Journal of Gambling Studies · doi:10.1023/a:1021271029163 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
Pathologic Gambling in Patients with Parkinson's Disease
Gschwandtner, U., Aston, J., Renaud, S., & Fuhr, P. (2001) · Clinical Neuropharmacology · doi:10.1097/00002826-200105000-00009 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Pathological gambling in two patients on dopamine replacement therapy for Parkinson?s disease
Avanzi, M., Uber, E., & Bonf�, F. (2004) · Neurological Sciences · doi:10.1007/s10072-004-0238-z · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Shizgal, P., & Arvanitogiannis, A. (2003) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1083627 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Disturbed sensorimotor processing during control of precision grip in patients with writer's cramp
Serrien, D. J., Burgunder, J., & Wiesendanger, M. (2000) · Movement Disorders · doi:10.1002/1531-8257(200009)15:5 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Pre‐clinical studies of pramipexole: clinical relevance
Hubble, J. P. (2000) · European Journal of Neurology · doi:10.1046/j.1468-1331.2000.0070s1015.x · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Grieger, T. A., Staab, J. P., Carde�a, E., McCarroll, J. E., Brandt, G. T., Fullerton, C. S., & Ursano, R. J. (2000) · Depression and Anxiety · doi:10.1002/1520-6394(2000)11:4 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Montastruc, J.-L., Schmitt, L., & Bagheri, H. (2003) · PubMed · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Perceiving is believing: a Bayesian approach to explaining the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Fletcher, P. C., & Frith, C. D. (2009) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn2536 · Cited by 1,462 · see citing works
Consensus on diagnosis and management of Cushing's disease: a guideline update
Fleseriu, M., Auchus, R., Bancos, I., Ben-Shlomo, A., Bertherat, J., Biermasz, N. R., Boguszewski, C. L., Bronstein, M. D., Buchfelder, M., Carmichael, J. D., et al. (2021) · The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/s2213-8587(21)00235-7 · Cited by 953 · see citing works
Association of dopamine agonist use with impulse control disorders in Parkinson disease
Weintraub, D., Siderowf, A. D., Potenza, M. N., Goveas, J., Morales, K. H., Duda, J. E., Moberg, P. J., & Stern, M. B. (2006) · Archives of Neurology · doi:10.1001/archneur.63.7.969 · Cited by 662 · see citing works
Risky business: the neuroeconomics of decision making under uncertainty
Platt, M. L., & Huettel, S. A. (2008) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn2062 · Cited by 556 · see citing works
Validation of the questionnaire for impulsive‐compulsive disorders in Parkinson's disease
Weintraub, D., Hoops, S., Shea, J. A., Lyons, K. E., Pahwa, R., Driver‐Dunckley, E. D., Adler, C. H., Potenza, M. N., Miyasaki, J., Siderowf, A. D., et al. (2009) · Movement Disorders · doi:10.1002/mds.22571 · Cited by 528 · see citing works
Serotonin and dopamine: unifying affective, activational, and decision functions.
Cools, R., Nakamura, K., & Daw, N. D. (2011) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/npp.2010.121 · Cited by 464 · see citing works
Compulsive drug use linked to sensitized ventral striatal dopamine transmission.
Evans, A. H., Pavese, N., Lawrence, A. D., Tai, Y. F., Appel, S., Doder, M., Brooks, D. J., Lees, A. J., & Piccini, P. (2006) · Annals of Neurology · doi:10.1002/ana.20822 · Cited by 473 · see citing works
Medication-Related Impulse Control and Repetitive Behaviors in Parkinson Disease
Voon, V., & Fox, S. H. (2007) · Archives of Neurology · doi:10.1001/archneur.64.8.1089 · Cited by 397 · see citing works
Dopamine Dysregulation Syndrome: An Overview of its Epidemiology, Mechanisms and Management
OʼSullivan, S. S., Evans, A. H., & Lees, A. J. (2009) · CNS Drugs · doi:10.2165/00023210-200923020-00005 · Cited by 265 · see citing works
Calculating utility: preclinical evidence for cost–benefit analysis by mesolimbic dopamine
Phillips, P. E. M., Walton, M. E., & Jhou, T. C. (2007) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-006-0626-6 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
Boileau, I., Payer, D., Chugani, B., Lobo, D., Behzadi, A., Rusjan, P. M., Houle, S., Wilson, A. A., Warsh, J., Kish, S. J., et al. (2013) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/add.12066 · Cited by 190 · see citing works
Anxiety in Parkinson’s disease: A critical review of experimental and clinical studies
Prediger, R. D. S., Matheus, F. C., Schwarzbold, M. L., Lima, M. M. S., & Vital, M. A. B. F. (2012) · Neuropharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.08.039 · Cited by 190 · see citing works
A systematic review of impulse control disorders in Parkinson’s disease.
Callesen, M. B., Scheel-Krüger, J., Kringelbach, M. L., & Møller, A. (2013) · Journal of Parkinson s Disease · doi:10.3233/jpd-120165 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Unpredictable saccharin reinforcement enhances locomotor responding to amphetamine
Singer, B. F., Scott-Railton, J., & Vezina, P. (2012) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2011.09.003 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Bari, A., & Robbins, T. W. (2013) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-013-3141-6 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Barrus, M. M., & Winstanley, C. A. (2016) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.2225-15.2016 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Dopamine Agonists and the Suppression of Impulsive Motor Actions in Parkinson Disease
Wylie, S. A., Claassen, D. O., Huizenga, H. M., Schewel, K. D., Ridderinkhof, K. R., Bashore, T. R., & van den Wildenberg, W. P. M. (2012) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/jocn_a_00241 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease
Vilas, D., Pont-Sunyer, C., & Tolosa, E. (2012) · Parkinsonism & Related Disorders · doi:10.1016/s1353-8020(11)70026-8 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Hellberg, S. N., Russell, T. I., & Robinson, M. J. F. (2019) · Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3758/s13415-018-00662-3 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
“Interestingly, in many of these patients, discontinuation of their dopaminergic medication resolved their pathological gambling (Dodd et al., 2005).”
Brockett, P. L., & Golden, L. L. (2007) · Journal of Risk and Insurance · doi:10.1111/j.1539-6975.2007.00201.x · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Wu, K., Politis, M., & Piccini, P. (2009) · Postgraduate Medical Journal · doi:10.1136/pgmj.2008.075820 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Dopamine and the Neural “Now”: Essay and Review of <i>Addiction: A Disorder of Choice</i>
Lewis, M. D. (2011) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691611400235 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Update on pathological gambling
Grant, J. E., Williams, K. A., & Kim, S. W. (2006) · Current Psychiatry Reports · doi:10.1007/s11920-006-0081-4 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
- Authors
- Dodd, M. L., Klos, K. J., Bower, J. H., Geda, Y. E., Josephs, K. A., & Ahlskog, J. E.
- Affiliations
- Mayo Clinic (US)
- Venue
- Archives of Neurology
- Publisher
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- Published
- 2005-09-01
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1377
- ISSN
- 0003-9942 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1980951225
- Cited by
- 563
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 28 · 2012: 60
- FWCI
- 34.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Archives of Neurology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Neurological disorders and treatments
- Keywords
- gambling addiction, Parkinson's disease, dopamine agonists, pramipexole, drug-induced psychiatric adverse effects, dopamine D3 receptor, levodopa
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Antiparkinson Agents, Female, Gambling, Humans, Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders, Levodopa, Male, Middle Aged, Parkinson Disease, Review Literature as Topic
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
