Diving into potential mechanisms of the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease

Dopamine agonists could be effective in reducing the risk of Parkinson’s disease in individuals with restless leg syndrome.

In a retrospective study published in JAMA Network Open, investigators used data from the 2002 to 2019 Korean National Health Insurance Service Sample Cohort to examine the incidence of Parkinson’s disease among almost 20,000 participants with and without restless leg syndrome and following treatment with dopamine agonists.

They discovered that those with restless leg syndrome had higher incidence rates of Parkinson’s disease and were diagnosed earlier compared with controls — suggesting that restless leg syndrome could be a risk factor for the disease. After exploring the role of dopaminergic pathways, the investigators noted that treatment with dopamine agonists among those with restless leg syndrome reduced the risk of later developing Parkinson’s disease. Despite the potential connection between the dopaminergic pathway and Parkinson’s disease, prior findings have indicated that the noradrenergic system, locus coeruleus and its projections to the central nervous system, impaired glymphatic system clearance function, iron deficiency anemia and poor sleep quality could be involved in disease development.

The findings illuminated the pathophysiologic link between restless leg syndrome, Parkinson’s disease and the dopaminergic pathway.

Read more: JAMA Network Open

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