February 11, 2016 | Tags: Manganese in parkinsonismCategories for this post are: Theories
People who abuse methcathinone—a psychoactive stimulant similar to amphetamines and cocaine—show increased levels of manganese (one of its ingredients) in the blood. When this is accompanied by extra-pyramidal syndrome and varying MRI signals from the basal ganglia, it implicates manganese as a cause of parkinsonism. Others have suggested that a prenatal exposure to dopaminergic neuronal toxins, such as the manganese-containing fungicides, may damage the substantia nigra early in development and also increase overall risk. The same applies for welders and those combining any of the aforementioned situations with a high intake of dietary iron.
