Compulsive Shopping in Parkinson’s Disease - A Case Report

Abstract

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are at risk of a number of compulsive behaviors associated with dopaminergic drugs. W e report one case of unusual compulsive shopping in idiopathic Parkinson disease (IPD) in relation to dopami nergic therapy. The m echanism explaining the behavior in this case is likely related to increased dopami nergic stimulation of non-motor basal ganglia loops. It suggests that perhaps many dopaminergic medications can be associated with compulsive behaviors. Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are at risk of pathological behaviors associated with dopaminergic drugs, most commonly dopamine agonists. Pathological gambling,(1,2) compulsive shopping,(3,4) hypersexuality,(5,6) binge eating and punding (stereotyped, prolonged, pur- poseless motor behaviors often characterized by repetitive manipulation and sorting of small objects)(7) have been described in relation to dopaminergic therapy. Labels for compulsive shopping vary. Uncontrolled buying, addictive buying, addictive consumption, excessive buying, shopaholism, and spendaholism all have been used to describe this overwhelming need to buy.(8) Most of all, ''compulsive'' shopping and ''uncontrolled'' buying emphasize a lack of control over such behaviour.(9) While not included in the fourth edition of the Diag- nostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), compulsive buying disorder (CBD) was included in DSM-III-R as an example of an impulse control disorder not otherwise specified.(10) Less frequent and less well-reported are occurrences of compulsive shopping in conjunction with dopaminergic therapy. We report one case of unusual compulsive shopping in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) in relation to dopaminergic therapy.