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Caffeine in Parkinson's disease: a pilot open-label, dose-escalation study
Robert D Altman1, Anthony E Lang, Ronald B Postuma
1Department of Neurology, McGill University, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Movement Disorders : Official Journal of the Movement Disorder Society
|September 29, 2011
Summary
Caffeine may offer benefits for Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms. This study found that doses up to 400 mg daily showed potential improvements in motor function and somnolence, though higher doses were poorly tolerated.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Epidemiological studies suggest an inverse relationship between caffeine consumption and Parkinson's disease (PD).
- The symptomatic effects and tolerability of caffeine in PD patients remain largely uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the dose tolerability of caffeine in individuals with PD.
- To explore potential motor and non-motor benefits of caffeine in PD.
Main Methods:
- An open-label, 6-week dose-escalation study.
- Caffeine dosage started at 200 mg/day and increased up to 1,000 mg/day.
- Evaluated motor and non-motor symptoms using standardized scales.
Main Results:
- Dose tolerability varied, with 20/25 subjects tolerating 200 mg and 3/25 tolerating 1,000 mg.
- Common adverse events included gastrointestinal discomfort, anxiety, and tremor.
- A dose of 400 mg/day showed statistically significant improvements in motor function (UPDRS III) and somnolence (Epworth scale).
Conclusions:
- Maximum tolerated caffeine dose in PD appears to be 100-200 mg twice daily.
- Preliminary evidence suggests caffeine may improve certain motor and non-motor aspects of PD.
- Further placebo-controlled trials are necessary to confirm these findings.
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