Final answer:
Cocaine and amphetamines can cause movement disorders by affecting the dopamine system, with symptoms similar to those in Parkinson's disease like tremor and bradykinesia. Chronic use can lead to neurotransmitter depletion, increasing the risk of addiction and related health issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines can result in various movement disorders. These substances affect the dopamine system, which is crucial for controlling movement. Cocaine acts by blocking the reuptake of dopamine, while amphetamines both block reuptake and stimulate its release.
Abnormal movement symptoms can be quite similar to those observed in Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra, which leads to muscular symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia (slowness of movement).
Cocaine and amphetamines can produce movement disorders that include not only the aforementioned symptoms but also complications like increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and repeated use leading to tolerance and addiction. This is often due to changes in neural activity and neurotransmitter depletion resulting from chronic usage, necessitating increasing amounts of the substance to achieve the same effects.