Some previous studies have proved that the consumption of coffee daily can reduce the risk of getting Parkinson’s disease. But there has been limited research on how caffeine affects the development of the disease in patients who are already diagnosed with this disease. To understand more about it, researchers from the University of Turku and Turku University Hospitals in Finland conducted an international study. They have found that consuming caffeine regularly affects dopamine function in patients with Parkinson’s disease. They have also found that consuming caffeine before a diagnostic brain scan can impact the imaging results.
This research was published in the Annals of Neurology. In this study, researchers involved 163 patients with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. They compared their functions with 40 healthy people. They examined and scanned some of these patients twice to check how caffeine consumption changes brain dopamine transporter binding. They also asked them some questions and collected their blood samples to measure caffeine.
When researchers observed the collected data, they found that patients with high caffeine consumption had reduced dopamine transporter binding by 8.3-15.5% as compared to low caffeine consumption. But this reduction in dopamine function was not because of a greater reduction in dopamine neurons caused by caffeine. It may be because of a compensatory mechanism in the brain similar to what has been seen in healthy people after caffeine consumption.
Researchers also found that consuming caffeine before a diagnostic scan can temporarily increase dopamine transporter binding values. This can make it harder for healthcare professionals to interpret the results of brain scans. This study suggests that patients should avoid consuming coffee for 24 hours before undergoing diagnostic brain scans to get accurate results.
One of the researchers says that caffeine might help reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. But our study suggests that high caffeine intake does not benefit the dopamine systems in patients already diagnosed with the disease. He also said high caffeine consumption did not improve symptoms such as better motor function.
This research provides information about how caffeine affects Parkinson’s disease. It also shows how important it is to think about caffeine consumption in medical settings. So, Healthcare professionals should spread awareness about this.
Reference Link:
Emmi K Saarinen et al, Dietary Caffeine and Brain Dopaminergic Function in Parkinson Disease, Annals of Neurology (2024).
