Online gambling a problem for people with PD?

Kathrynne H Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:07 am Post subject: News: Online gambling a problem for people with PD

Dear Friends, the following may be of interest. Best, Kathrynne ======================================================== Internet gambling a risk f

Online gambling presents a special peril for people with Parkinson's (AAP) Online gambling presents a special peril for people with Parkinson's, a disease that boosts compulsive risk-taking, doctors warn in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Internet casinos, poker and other online games can result in secret debts that can destroy a family, they say. Parkinson's, a disease of the nerve system, is commonly known for problems with motor function, causing trembling, shaking and jerkiness.

But, the BMJ editorial points out, Parkinson's patients also have problems with pathological gambling and other addictive behaviours.

The phenomenon is worsened by dopamine agonists — the drugs that many take to ease their symptoms. advertisement

A study published last year in the journal Neurology found that the prevalence of addicted gambling among Parkinson's patients was 3.4 percent, which more than doubled to 7.2 percent among those who take dopamine agonists.

People who develop Parkinson's at a younger age are at even higher risk.

By comparison, in the general British population, compulsive gambling afflicts around one percent of people.

"We have noted that our patients are often secretive about their gambling and may end up thousands of pounds (dollars, euros) in debt before the problem is realised," say authors Sui Wong and Malcolm Steiger, who are neurologists at the Walter Centre in Liverpool, northwestern England. "Many internet gambling companies actively lure gamblers with pop-ups to place free bets.

This marketing technique is pervasive and can make it hard for vulnerable people to wean themselves off gambling."

They say doctors can help to identify the problem at an early stage by asking patients and carers about any change in behaviour or development of new compulsion.

For patients that become hooked on online gambling, doctors may consider such strategies as reducing or stopping dopamine agonists, while families can install firewalls to block Internet pop-ups and gambling sites or control the patient's finances if need be, they add.