A recent research study compared patients suffering from Parkinson's disease with healthy people of the same age and sex. Both groups were given a detailed questionnaire regarding lifestyle habits designed to indicate individual personality traits. The initial results were thought provoking to say the least. They seemed to indicate that people who smoked and were avid drinkers of coffee and alcohol were less likely to develop Parkinson's. The scientific world was abuzz. Was there something present in tobacco, caffeine or alcohol that prevented Parkinson's from developing? Was it time to encourage people to start smoking and enjoy that cocktail finally? Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on which side of the fence you sit on) the conclusions reached were not so cut and dried. While patients with Parkinson's definitely scored lower on caffeine and nicotine consumption than their 'healthier' peers, further analysis of the data showed a greater connection between personality types and Parkinson's. Closer investigation revealed that people who smoke and drink also tend to score higher on the sensation seeking scale. They are more prone to risk taking and are constantly looking out for that next 'buzz.' In contrast, patients with Parkinson's are more risk-aversive in nature. On the whole, they reject any form of hedonistic or sensation-seeking behavior and many were over disciplined and socially withdrawn. The implication was that instead of the physical effects of nicotine or caffeine on the brain, it was the anti-risk taking personality that influenced the disease rate.
Very often a person's rigid, serious, and single- minded behavior is chalked down to his/her 'personality type' when in fact it could be early manifestations of Parkinson's disease. To explore this hypothesis, we must understand a little bit more about what leads to the degenerative nature of the disease. Responsible for all our muscle movements is a brain chemical known as dopamine. In patients with Parkinson's, the cells that produce dopamine begin to die and this soon leads to problems with walking and coordination of movements. The levels of dopamine may also affect personality and behavior, as dopamine is responsible for signaling feelings of pleasure and reward. If you have lower levels of dopamine, you are less likely to go out and seek the types of behavior that 'reward' you such as smoking or jumping off a plane! Now since the symptoms of Parkinson's do not become evident until almost 70% of the cells have died out this means that the process of cell loss happens a long time before a person is even diagnosed. Studies are now being conducted on whether this slow loss is connected to long time personality traits that may signify an early manifestation of the disease. However, this theory needs much more research before any conclusion can be reached.
What the latest research does suggest is that there may be a 'Parkinsonian Personality.' One who is a low-risk taker and is more likely to be anxious or depressed, inflexible and cautious, and averse to any form of hedonistic activity. These harm-avoidance personality traits may make the person less likely to take up smoking or drinking and avoid taking risks as compared with people who don't have Parkinson's. In fact, this tendency to avoid risks can be traced back a lifetime and are more or less stable over time. You would not have found this type of person over speeding or fighting for the front seat in a roller coaster even in his or her youth. Another study of women with Parkinson's noted that nearly sixty percent of all women reported a routine and disciplined lifestyle while growing up and well into adulthood. All these findings add to the growing body of work on personality types and Parkinson's. However, all studies should be treated with caution until more conclusive proof is reached. So don't get ahead of yourself, it may still be a good idea to look before you leap!
References:Brain. 2011 May;134(Pt 5):1438-46.
Dopamine agonists and risk: impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease.
Voon V, Gao J, Brezing C, Symmonds M, Ekanayake V, Fernandez H, Dolan RJ, Hallett M.
Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, Department of Experimental
Psychology, Downing Site, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK.
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