Trail Making Test performance in early abstinence from methamphetamine: human evidence for a drug-associated Parkinsonian-like phenotype - Takeaways - MDSpire

Trail Making Test performance in early abstinence from methamphetamine: human evidence for a drug-associated Parkinsonian-like phenotype

  • By

  • Alexandru Mihai Dumitrescu

  • M. Frances Vest

  • Annette E. Fleckenstein

  • James C. Patterson

  • Christina Ledbetter

  • Nicholas E. Goeders

  • Jennifer M. Loftis

  • Elliot Thompson

  • Katelyn Lofton

  • Kevin S. Murnane

  • March 23, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is linked to increased risk of Parkinson's disease (PD), with users showing cognitive deficits similar to early PD.

  • 2

    A study of 49 individuals with MUD revealed significant cognitive inflexibility, assessed via the Trail Making Task, compared to 30 controls.

  • 3

    Both male and female participants with MUD exhibited TMT deficits, indicating a Parkinsonian-like cognitive phenotype, regardless of drug use patterns.

  • 4

    Intravenous methamphetamine use was associated with more cognitive errors in females, suggesting a potential sex-dependent vulnerability to PD.

  • 5

    The findings emphasize the need for comprehensive interventions for MUD that address cognitive inflexibility to improve treatment engagement.

Original Source(s)

Trail Making Test performance in early abstinence from methamphetamine: human evidence for a drug-associated Parkinsonian-like phenotype

  • by Alexandru Mihai Dumitrescu, M. Frances Vest, Annette E. Fleckenstein, James C. Patterson, Christina Ledbetter, Nicholas E. Goeders, Jennifer M. Loftis, Elliot Thompson, Katelyn Lofton, Kevin S. Murnane

  • March 23, 2026

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