Compulsive Gambling, Sex Linked to Parkinson's Drugs

[emad]

Stefan Lovgren
for National Geographic News

Scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, have found that certain drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease can cause patients to become addicted to gambling. The drugs, called dopamine agonists, also have been found to boost patients' appetites for sex, food, and alcohol.

"This is a striking effect," said J. Eric Ahlskog, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic. "Pathological gambling induced by a drug is really quite unusual."

In one case, a 54-year-old married pastor gambled daily at the local casino, hiding his losses from his wife.

In another, a 41-year-old computer programmer who had never gambled in his life became "consumed" with Internet gambling.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/07/0712_050712_parkinsons.html

[sui generis]

1. truly bizarre

I completely lack all gambling desire - not even the tiniest stir of interest. Every time I've been in a casino I've seen slack jawed glaze eyed toothless protoplasm dully pulling those levers, or wannabe "players" playing make believe - it's truly been cautionary for me, kind of like walking into a crack den and saying, woopsie, not for me.

Now the sex, food and alcohol thing - is that really such a bad thing?

[emad]

2. Addictive personality has been linked to underdeveloped

amygdala region of the brain.

Some recent studies have suggested that the pre-natal causes of this might be chlamydia.