Pathological gambling in Parkinson's disease

doi:10.1136/bmj.39176.363958.80

BMJ 2007;334:810-811 (21 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39176.363958.80

Editorials

Pathological gambling in Parkinson's disease

Patients often are in substantial debt before the problem isrecognised

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Parkinson's disease is common. It is estimated to affect aroundone in 200 people in the developed world (between six and 11people per general practice in the United Kingdom).¹ For manypatients, care is shared between general practitioners, geriatricians,general physicians, and neurologists, often alongside specialistnurses. Motor symptoms and signs of Parkinson's disease arewell recognised, yet the behavioural problems are less wellknown, particularly the recently described problems of pathologicalgambling and other addictive behaviours.² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷Pathologicalgambling is an impulse control disorder characterised by excessivegambling.⁸ The prevalence of pathological gambling in Parkinson'sdisease is about 3.4%, rising to 7.2% in patients taking dopamineagonists.⁶ In contrast, the lifetime prevalence of pathologicalgambling in the general population in the UK is 1%.⁹ It canbe associated with the presence of other compulsive disorderssuch as the compulsive use of dopaminergic drugs,⁴ compulsiveshopping, and hypersexuality.⁶ People who . . . [Full text of this article]