Shared from parkinson.org.
Dopamine replacement therapies, such as dopamine agonists and the commonly used drug levodopa, can alleviate some of the more debilitating movement symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), restoring precious autonomy and quality of life to those that need it. However, these therapies are not without side effects, one of which is the potential to develop an impulse control disorder.
Up to 40% of people who take dopamine-replacing drugs for their PD experience impulse control disorders (ICDs). ICDs can present themselves in many ways, including gambling addictions or excessive eating.
Xiaowen Zhuang, PhD, a recipient of a Parkinson’s Foundation Launch Award, wants to better understand the neuroscience behind this medication-induced impulsivity so that we can improve future treatments to avoid this side effect altogether.
Dr. Zhuang will study ICD using mice, measuring what is known as delay discounting behavior, which is how much a subject is willing to ignore an immediate smaller award (like treats) and wait for a larger award instead. She uses tools called operant boxes that allow her to train mice on this “small award now vs. larger reward later” scenario and collect data on how their impulsivity changes in different conditions.