Tremors Can Predict Dopaminergic Medication Effects on Learning Disorders of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

(Photo: Steve Buissinne )
Some dopaminergic treatments for Parkinson's disease come in tablet form

ALSO READ: How a Healthy Diet Helps Reduce Risk of Parkinson's Disease

Brain researches from Donders Institute of Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Center published a study presenting dopaminergic medication improving the aptitude to learn from rewards or reinforcement learning in patients who do not experience tremors. According to the researchers, the said tremors can determine dopaminergic medication effects among Parkinson's disease patients.

According to Mayo Clinic, dopaminergic medication or dopamine agonists do not change into dopamine, but they mimic dopamine's effects on the brain. They added that they last longer and may be used together with levodopa to smooth the on and off the levodopa effect. According to Healthline, some types of dopamine agonists are Pramipexole, Ropinirole, and Rotigotine. Pramipexole and ropinirole are in tablet form, while rotigotine comes in a patch form.

Radboud University brain researcher Hanneke Den Ouden said in a statement that it is astounding that until now, studies of cognition in Parkinson's disease not once mentioned or assessed the distinction between patients who show tremors and those who do not. She added that their study shows a link between motor skill problems and that with the cognition that concerns Parkinson's disease patients.

The Difference Between Tremor's Presence and Absence

Den Ouden said in the statement that with medication, patients without tremors get better at a task in which they have to learn to push a button to receive a reward, while patients with tremors will present an opposite effect. She added that patients with tremors show a faster deterioration of their cognitive abilities and are more likely to progress to dementia. According to co-author and Radboud University neurologist, Rick Helmich, their study presents that dopamine systems of Parkinson's Disease with or without tremor are affected differently and go beyond the level of motor problems that affects cognition. He added that the tremor might have potentially had an important predictive value regarding medication effectiveness in cognition. However, he added that larger studies are needed to be conducted for this to be confirmed.

Den Ouden also stressed that the results would make sense because it is easier without tremors to participate in the study. She also emphasized to always be aware of the patients' diversity involved in the study because it might draw wrong conclusions.

What is Tremor?

According to American Parkinson's Disease Association (APDA), a tremor is an involuntary quivering movement or shake occurring during rest. In Parkinson's disease, it is slow, rhythmic and typically starts in one hand, foot, or leg, and can eventually affect both sides of the body. Parkinson's UK added that tremors could happen in two different ways: resting and while an individual is doing something. APDA emphasized that tremors are very common in Parkinson's and affect about 80% of people and are not the main problem of Parkinson's, although it is not for most. Parkinson's UK emphasized that the death of the brain cells that produces dopamine in Parkinson's disease patients makes the disease symptoms appear that may include tremor. They stressed that tremors as the first symptoms for other Parkinson's disease patients would vary because of not everyone with Parkinson's disease experience the same symptoms.

Check out more news and information on Parkinson's Disease on MD News Daily.