Regular high caffeine consumption affects dopamine function in patients with Parkinson's disease, shows a new international study led by the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital in Finland. Caffeine consumption before undergoing diagnostic brain dopamine imaging may also affect the imaging results. The research results were published in the Annals of Neurology on 20 May 2024.
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A clinical study compared 163 patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease to 40 healthy controls. The examinations and imaging were conducted on two occasions for a subsample, with an average interval of six years between the first and second imaging session.
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The findings revealed that patients with high caffeine consumption exhibited a 8.3–15.4% greater decrease in dopamine transporter binding compared to those with low caffeine consumption.
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JCRO
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In fact, the results confirm previous research, as seen in the meta-data study I recently posted. That study showed an improvement in swallowing function, but like the findings here, it demonstrates that high caffeine consumption does not have a positive effect on the dopamine systems in patients already diagnosed with PD. While caffeine may offer certain benefits in reducing the risk of PD, this research shows that it does not result in symptom improvement after diagnosis, such as improved motor function.
What is new in this study is that drinking coffee before undergoing a DAT scan can distort the results. It is recommended that patients refrain from consuming coffee and caffeine for 24 hours prior to a diagnostic DAT scan.
"However, the observed decline in dopamine function is unlikely to be due to a greater reduction in dopamine neurons following caffeine consumption. Rather, it is more likely to be a downregulatory compensatory mechanism in the brain that has also been observed in healthy individuals following caffeine and other stimulant use."
Chronic caffeine intake prompts compensatory and cumulative dopamine transporter downregulation, consistent with caffeine's reported risk reduction in Parkinson disease. However, this decline does not manifest in symptom changes. Transiently increased dopamine transporter binding after recent caffeine intake has implications for dopaminergic imaging guidelines" [emphasis added]
I was asked not to consume any caffeinated drinks before undergoing PET scans recently, now I know why!But is the caffeine effect detected here a good thing or a bad thing,?
Now how is this consistent with actual downregulation, which is gradual depopulation or migration of receptor location as a response to chronic change? Nothing "transient" about it. Not all of us were born yesterday. I see nothing chronic about this use of the word "downregulation," which is something very similar to a leg growing shorter, is it even technically correct to call it down regulation? Seems to me like misuse of the term.
Unlike smoking and aspirin, which can have a negative effect on PD symptoms after diagnosis, caffeine does not seem to be really harmful. So, fortunately, you can continue with this addiction!
My friend, is a RN, she suggested trying nicotine/patch or gum 2-4mg. (to help with symptoms.haven't tried yet, still working on B1. one thing at a time.) MY new med, Relegsline has really helped with gait/freezing. On for a week now.
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