In individuals with Parkinson’s disease, the use of dopaminergic drugs that can stimulate receptors for dopamine, a deficient neurotransmitter in this disease, can result in side effects characterized by poor impulse control: these include pathological gambling, hypersexuality, and compulsive shopping. However, the same drug treatment has stimulated increased creativity and the acquisition of new artistic skills in some individuals with Parkinson’s disease.
While poor impulse control, such as especially pathological gambling, is well recognized in the literature, creativity remains underestimated, probably because it is an often-appreciated event and as such not likely to create distress, either in patients or their families. In a recent study, researchers evaluated about 20 subjects with Parkinson’s disease who exhibited greater artistic creativity after dopaminergic treatment than before. Among the artistic activities found in first place is painting, but also the development of poetic skills(Schrag and Trimble 2001; Walker et al, 2006).
There is no doubt that a stimulating family environment could bring out creative aspects more frequently during Parkinson’s disease treated with dopaminergic drugs. But a not insignificant aspect is that the same patients in whom there is the appearance of artistic activities also report a state of well-being and a loss of awareness of the disease and even of disease-related physical limitations(Chatterjee et al, 2006).
Source: Garcia-Ruiz PJ, Martinez Castrillo JC, Desojo LV. Creativity related to dopaminergic treatment: A multicenter study. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2019 Feb 22. pii: S1353-8020(19)30056-2.
Bibliography
Chatterjee A, Hamilton RH, Amorapanth PX: Art produced by a patient with Parkinson’s disease. Behav Neurol 2006;17:105-108
Schrag A, Trimble M: Poetic talent unmasked by treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord 2001;16:1175-1176
Walker RH, Warwick R, Cercy SP: Augmentation of artistic productivity in Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord 2006;21:285-286.
