Regularly consuming high levels of caffeine has been found to have an impact on dopamine function in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study conducted internationally. The study was led by the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital in Finland. Additionally, consuming caffeine before undergoing diagnostic brain dopamine imaging may also impact the results of the imaging. Previous studies have already indicated this correlation.Caffeine consumption has been linked to a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, but there isn’t much research on how caffeine affects the progression of the disease in patients who already have it. To address this, a team at the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital conducted a follow-up study to see how caffeine intake impacts brain dopamine function in people with Parkinson’s. They used single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to measure dopamine transporter (DAT) binding in the brain and found a connection betweenhigh caffeine intake has been linked to a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, but this study is the first to look at how caffeine affects the progression of the disease and its symptoms in relation to dopamine function,” said Valtteri Kaasinen, a Professor of Neurology at the University of Turku and the lead researcher of the study.
No impact of caffeine on Parkinson’s symptoms
A clinical trial compared 163 patients in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease to 40 healthy individuals. The tests and imaging were carried out on two occasions for aThe study involved taking a subsample of individuals, with an average of six years between their first and second imaging sessions. The researchers compared changes in the binding of dopamine transporter in the brain with the participants’ caffeine intake. This was measured using a validated questionnaire and by analyzing the levels of caffeine and its byproducts in their blood samples.
The results showed that individuals who consumed high amounts of caffeine experienced an 8.3-15.4% greater decrease in dopamine transporter binding compared to those who had low caffeine intake. However, it is unlikely that this decline in dopamine function is solely due to a greater reduction in dopamine neurons following.
It is not caffeine consumption that has an impact on the dopamine systems in the brain. Rather, it is more likely to be a compensatory mechanism that downregulates in response to caffeine and other stimulant use, which has been observed in healthy individuals.
According to Kaasinen, “While caffeine may have benefits in reducing the risk of Parkinson’s disease, our study suggests that high caffeine intake does not have any benefit on the dopamine systems in patients who are already diagnosed. High caffeine intake did not lead to reduced symptoms of the disease or improved motor function.”
Another important finding from the study was that a recent dose of caffeine, such as in the form of a drink or pill, did not have an impact on the dopamine systems in the brain.
On the morning of the imaging session, there is a temporary increase in the person’s DAT binding values. This could potentially make it harder to interpret clinically commonly used brain DAT imaging results. The research suggests that patients should avoid drinking coffee and consuming caffeine for 24 hours before undergoing diagnostic DAT imaging.
