REVIEW
Depression in Parkinson’s disease: Health risks,
etiology, and treatment options
Pasquale G Frisina 1,2
Joan C Borod 3,4
Nancy S Foldi 3,5
Harriet R Tenenbaum 6
Leir Parkinson’s Disease Program,
The Jewish Home and Hospital
Lifecare System, New York, NY,
USA; 2 Department of Geriatrics and
Adult Development, Mount Sinai
School of Medicine, New York, NY,
USA; 3 Department of Psychology,
Queens College and The Graduate
Center of the City University of New
York (CUNY), Flushing, NY, USA;
4
Department of Neurology, Mount
Sinai School of Medicine, New York,
NY, USA; 5 Department of Medicine,
Winthrop-University Hospital, State
University of New York, Stony Brook
School of Medicine; 6 Department
of Psychology, Kingston University,
Kingston upon Thames, UK
1
Correspondence: Pasquale G Frisina
The Jewish Home and Hospital Life Care
System, 120 West 106th Street, New York,
NY 10025, USA
Tel +1 212 870 5957
Email pfrisina@jhha.org
Abstract: Depression is found in about 30%–40% of all patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD),
but only a small percentage (about 20%) receive treatment. As a consequence, many PD patients
suffer with reduced health-related quality of life. To address quality of life in depressed PD
patients, we reviewed the literature on the health correlates of depression in PD (eg, cognitive
function), etiology of depression in PD, and treatment options (ie, antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy, and psychotherapy). The current review is unique in its focus on psychosocial
aspects, as well as neuropathological factors, of depression in PD. Overall, we conclude that
neurochemical (eg, serotonin) and psychosocial factors (eg, coping style, self-esteem, and social
support) contribute to the affective disturbances found in this neuropsychiatric population.
Therefore, we recommend that a multidisciplinary (eg, pharmacotherapeutic, psychoeducational,
and/or psychotherapeutic) approach to treatment be taken with depressed PD patients.
Keywords: depression, Parkinson’s disease, health outcomes, treatment options
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the loss of
dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain, which results in dysfunction of the nigrostriatal
system producing alterations in movement such as tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity,
and postural abnormalities. PD is generally characterized as a movement disorder,
but depression occurs frequently in this population with a prevalence estimated
at 30%–40% (Cummings 1992; Slaughter et al 2001; Zgaljardic et al 2003).
Unfortunately, however, only 20% of all depressed PD patients receive treatment
for their psychological status (Mayeux et al 1986; Huber et al 1988; Starkstein et al
1990). If depression is left untreated, there is an increased risk for greater disability
and reduced quality of life (Edwards et al 2002).
One reason why depression is undertreated in PD is due to the patient’s
overshadowing concern for his/her physical relative to psychological health. Brod
and colleagues (1998) have provided some evidence for this notion by observing
that only 11% of depressed PD patients rated their psychological condition as a
concerning health problem even though a majority of them were depressed. Similarly,
depression failed to rank as one of the 20 most bothersome symptoms experienced by
depressed PD patients (Scott et al 2000). Thus, even when PD patients are suffering
from affective disturbances, they are more likely to complain about the burden of
their motor disability. Therefore, physicians should regularly screen for depression
when treating PD patients. However, it is often a difficult diagnosis as many of the
cognitive (eg, decreased concentration), motor (eg, agitation and decreased facial
expression), and somatic (eg, decreased energy and disturbed sleep) features of PD
and depression overlap (Edwards et al 2002).
Treatment is also complicated by the lack of reliable and valid instruments for
assessing depression in patients with PD (Edwards et al 2002). For instance, rating
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008:4(1) 81–91
© 2008 Dove Medical Press Limited. All rights reserved
81
Frisina et al
scales, such as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (Beck
et al 1961) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS)
(Hamilton 1960), may over-diagnose depression in PD
because the source of the somatic items could be influenced
by parkinsonian symptoms (Leentjens et al 2000). However,
the BDI and HDRS were tested for their diagnostic accuracy
for depression in PD (Leentjens, Verhey, Lousberg et al
2000; Leentjens, Verhey, Luijckx et al 2000), and both scales
showed adequate sensitivity (BDI = 67%, and HDRS = 83%)
and specificity (BDI = 88%, and HDRS = 95%). Conversely,
DSM-IV criteria are the most widely accepted method of
evaluating depression in PD (Zesiewicsz et al 1999), but
require a trained administrator and may take a significant
amount of time to administer. Because it is easier to evaluate
depression with the BDI than with DSM-IV criteria or the
HDRS, the BDI should be considered as the preferred method
for screening depression in PD. However, future research
should assess the geriatric depression scale (Yesavage et al
1982) for its diagnostic accuracy in PD because it may
provide better control for the somatic complaints that are
associated with age and disease severity in PD.
Even when a diagnosis of depression is made accurately,
it is not clear which treatment options (eg, psychotherapy or
pharmacotherapy) are safe and effective for this population.
Thus, in this article, we review the health risks, etiological
factors, and treatment options for depression in PD towards
improving health-related quality of life in PD patients
suffering from depression. The current review is unique in
its focus on psychosocial aspects, as well as neuropathological factors, of depression in PD.
Depression and associated health
risks in PD
Depression and cognition
Cognitive deficits are common even in non-depressed and
non-demented PD patients (for reviews, see Raskin et al 1990;
Morrison et al 2000). However, certain aspects of cognition are
more severely impaired in depressed PD patients (for reviews,
see Emre 2003; Zgaljardic et al 2003). Unfortunately, these
impairments can place depressed patients with PD at greater
risk for developing dementia (Dalrymple-Alford et al 1994;
Lombardi et al 2001). Dementia constitutes a negative health
outcome in PD because it is associated with greater functional
disability and institutionalization in nursing homes (Emre
2003). Moreover, mortality rates are higher for demented
than non-demented PD patients (Mindham et al 1982). Thus,
identification and treatment of PD patients with depression
may prevent subsequent cognitive and functional decline.
82
Executive dysfunction is the type of cognitive impairment
most closely related to the development of dementia in PD
(Levy et al 2002). Indeed, depressed patients with PD have
significantly greater impairments in attention and working
memory (Uekermann et al 2003) and perform more poorly on
neuropsychological measures of frontal/executive function
(ie, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Raven Progressive
Matrices) than non-depressed patients with PD (Kuzis
et al 1997). Other studies have bolstered these findings in
showing that depression at baseline increases the risk for
developing dementia later in PD (Starkstein et al 1990;
Stern et al 1993; Hughes et al 2000). Indeed, PD patients
who were treated for depression evidenced less cognitive
decline over a 3–4 year period relative to those who were not
(Kremer and Starkstein 2000). The extent to which cognitive
decline contributes to depression could help to understand
functional disability and health-related quality of life in PD.
Thus, treating depression in PD may help to prevent or delay
the progression of cognitive and functional decline in this
neuropsychiatric population.
Depression and health-related quality
of life
The term health-related quality of life (HRQL) has been used
to describe the distress and functional impairment produced
by a chronic debilitating illness.1 Overall, research using
generic and disease-specific scales has found motor disability to be an obvious and important determinant of reduced
HQRL in PD (Peto et al 1995; Dodel et al 2001; Keranen
et al 2003). However, there is also a growing literature that
shows that even beyond motor disability, depression can be
a risk factor for reduced HRQL in PD (Karlsen et al 1995;
Hobson et al 1999; Schrag et al 2001).
Karlsen et al (1999) used the Nottingham Health Profile
(NHP) to determine which clinical features reduce HRQL
in PD. A generic quality of life questionnaire, the NHP,
measures six dimensions – emotional reactions, energy, pain,
physical mobility, sleep, and social isolation (Jenkinson et al
1988). Overall, depression was related to negative emotional
reactions, low energy, pain, and social isolation but not to
physical mobility problems and sleep disorders (Karlsen
et al 1999). Nonetheless, other studies using PD-specific
measures of HRQL have found a relationship between
depression and these health outcomes (Hobson et al 1999;
Schrag et al 2001).
One study that used a PD specific scale on HRQL
(ie, PDQ-39) observed that depression was significantly
associated with poorer quality of life in this population (Schrag
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008:4(1)
Depression and Parkinson’s disease
et al 2001). Briefly, the PDQ-39 is a PD-specific, HRQL
questionnaire that consists of eight health dimensions – mobility,
activities of daily living, emotional well-being, stigma, social
support, cognition, communication, and bodily discomfort
(Peto et al 1995). Overall, depressed PD patients scored significantly lower than non-depressed PD patients on all eight
dimensions of the PDQ-39, particularly on items that tapped
emotional well-being and cognition. Furthermore, after controlling for motor disability severity, depression significantly
predicted all areas of HRQL on the PDQ-39.
Additional evidence deriving from another diseasespecific scale has offered greater reliability to the notion that
depression is a serious risk factor for reduced HRQL found
in PD. De Boer and colleagues (1996) developed the PD
Quality of Life Questionnaire (PDQL) to determine which
clinical and demographic variables are related to HRQL in
PD. It assesses four dimensions of health – parkinsonism,
systemic symptoms, social functioning, and emotional
functioning. Again, depression was the best predictor of
poor HRQL along all four dimensions of the PDQL relative
to age, disease severity, and cognitive impairment (Hobson
et al 1999). Further, depression produced the poorest scores
on the parkinsonian and emotional functioning subscales of
the PDQL (Hobson et al 1999).
The studies (reviewed above) using the PDQ-39 and
PDQL produced convergent results that depression predicted
reduced HRQL (Hobson et al 1999; Schrag et al 2001). In a
recent paper on the psychometric properties of the PDQ-39
and PDQL (Marinus et al 2002), the PDQ-39 was deemed the
most appropriate instrument for measuring HRQL “because
it has been tested most thoroughly, has adequate clinimetric characteristics, has been used in the largest number of
studies, and is available in many languages” (p 248). Thus,
the PDQ-39 can be adopted as an instrument for studying
depression and HRQL in PD.
Depression should be considered a risk factor for poor
HRQL in PD, thus, it is conjectured that HRQL, cognitive
function, and emotional-well-being would potentially
improve once depression is alleviated in PD. However, what
is not clear are the factors that contribute to depression in PD
and which treatment options are safe and effective for use in
this neuropsychiatric population.
perspective argues that depression is a primary neurochemical
consequence of the neurodegenerative process of PD,
attributing depression in PD to deficits in dopaminergic,
noradrenergic, and/or serotonergic systems (Hornykiewicz
1982; Cummings 1993). Evidence from studies that have
examined disease correlates (eg, motor severity, duration,
and functional disability) of PD, prevalence rates, and brain
abnormalities between depressed and non-depressed PD
patients have supported both models and are described
below.
Etiology of depression in PD
Biomedical perspective and brain imaging
There have been several explanations for why depression occurs in PD. A psychological explanation suggests
that depression is a reaction to the stress of coping with a
chronic and progressively disabling disease. A biomedical
One aspect of the biomedical model argues that depression
may be a sequela of changed brain chemistry that is separate
from the dopaminergic deficiency associated with PD motor
symptoms (Marsh and Markham 1973; Mayeux 1984; Mayeux
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008:4(1)
Correlates of depression within PD
According to the psychological-reactivity model, it is
hypothesized that depression will be positively correlated
with severity, duration, and disability factors in PD. Studies
examining these correlates of depression in PD have not
provided consistent evidence for the psychological-reactivity model. For instance, studies that have examined PD
disease duration and depression did not find a significant
relation between the two variables (Warburton 1967;
Celesia and Wannamaker 1972; Lesser et al 1979; Mayeux
et al 1981,1984; Dakof and Mendelsohn 1989; MacCarthy
and Brown 1989; Schrag et al 2001). Whereas some studies found a significant relationship between PD severity
and depression (Hoehn et al 1976; Mindham et al 1976;
Singer 1976; Gotham et al 1986; Dakoff and Mendelsohn
1989; Fleminger 1991; Schrag et al 2001), others have not
(Warburton 1967; Celesia and Wannamaker 1972; Mayeux
et al 1981; Mayeux 1984; Huber et al 1988; MacCarthy
Brown 1989).
Findings relating depression to functional disability are
also inconsistent. For instance, several studies have found that
depression is significantly and positively correlated with disability in PD (Gotham et al 1986; Brown et al 1988; Ehman
et al 1990; Menza and Mark 1994; Tandberg et al 1997;
Schrag et al 2001). However, depression does not improve
in PD patients once disability is reduced following levodopa
therapy (Goodwin et al 1970; Cheifetz et al 1971; Marsh and
Markhan 1973; Hoehn et al 1976; Lesser et al 1979; Mayeux
et al 1981). Therefore, conflicting results do not provide a
clear indication that depression is simply a reaction to the
disabling aspects of PD.
83
Frisina et al
et al 1984). This premise is based on the observation that
levels of cerebrospinal fluid 5-HIAA, a metabolite of serotonin
(5-HT), are reduced in depressed PD patients (Mayeux et al
1984, 1986). Initially, critics of this hypothesis reported that
even non-depressed PD patients showed metabolite reductions
(Kostic et al 1987), suggesting that either CSF metabolites
were inaccurate measures of changes in brain 5-HT or that
depressed PD patients were not qualitatively different from
non-depressed PD patients. More recent neuroimagining
and neuropharmacological research has been used to better
understand the biological etiology of PD depression.
Neuroanatomical differences between depressed and
non-depressed PD patients have been studied (Mayberg et al
1990; Mayberg and Solomon 1995; Sagar 1999). Depressed
PD patients show metabolic abnormalities during PET
scans in both the caudate and inferior frontal cortices as
compared to non-depressed PD patients and aged-matched
healthy controls (Mayberg et al 1990). PET studies have also
shown lower metabolic activity in the prefrontal cortex in
depressed relative to non-depressed PD patients (Paulus and
Trenkwalder 1998). Though these studies point to a biological etiology of PD depression, one criticism is that while
depressed and non-depressed PD patients are compared,
these studies do not directly compare depressed PD patients
to non-neurologically ill depressed patients. This leaves open
the possibility that depression alone could also contribute to
metabolic deficits, rather than the effect of PD.
Evidence from non-neurologically depressed patients
has shown metabolic abnormalities in the same area of the
brain (ie, prefrontal cortex) that is also affected in depressed
patients with PD (Rubin et al 1994; Brody et al 2001; Martin
et al 2001). Moreover, psychotherapy is useful in reducing
depression and in increasing metabolic activity (assessed
through PET) in the frontal cortex, temporal lobe, basal
ganglia, and cingulate gyrus in non-neurological depressed
patients (Martin et al 2001). Thus, there is a potential contribution of psychosocial factors to neuroanatomical differences observed between depressed and non-depressed PD
patients (Mayberg et al 1990; Mayberg and Solomon 1995;
Sagar 1999). The differentiation of abnormalities among
depressed PD patients, non-depressed PD patients, and nonneurologically ill patients with depression has to be made,
and understood in the context of structural neuroanatomy,
metabolic activity, and therapeutic treatment response.
Depression in PD versus other illnesses
Whether depression is found more frequently in PD relative to other non-neurological illnesses is unclear. If PD
84
patients are at greater risk for developing depression, then
the affective disturbances found in PD can be related to
neurological disease as opposed to a psychosocial stress
response in reaction to having a chronic and disabling illness.
Several studies examined rates of depression between PD
patients and other disabled clinical populations. Again, the
collective evidence does not support either a biomedical or
psychological interpretation. For instance, three separate
studies found that PD patients were significantly more
depressed than paraplegics, amputees, and patients suffering
from various medical/surgical conditions (Wartburton 1967;
Horn 1974; Robins 1976). However, the comparison groups
in these studies were not equivalent to the PD sample with
respect to age and duration of illness.
Ehman et al (1990) compared levels of depression
between patients with PD and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and
observed that depression was higher for the PD group. This
finding could suggest that depression in PD may be caused
by endogenous factors rather than a psychological reaction to
coping with a physically debilitating disorder. However, the
two groups were different with respect to disease duration,
with the PD group duration lasting 3.5 years whereas the
RA group was ill for over 14 years. Given that other studies
have shown that psychological disturbances tend to occur
more frequently in the early stages of chronic illness because
the patient has not yet learned how to cope effectively with
their disease (Meyerowitz 1980), the greater rates of depression found in PD relative to RA patients (Ehman et al 1990)
may be attributed to the PD patients not having enough time
to develop a more adaptive means of coping with their illness.
Singer (1976) suggested that the longer PD patients have the
disease, the more stoically they accept their symptoms. Thus,
an important variable that may distinguish depressed from
non-depressed PD patients is how the individual copes with
their chronic illness over time (Brown et al 1988).
Psychosocial reactivity and depression
Psychosocial variables, such as coping style and amount of
social support, may predict depression more reliably than
severity, illness duration, and functional disability (Brown
and McCarthy 1989; Dakoff and Mendelson 1989; Ehman
et al 1990; Frazier 2000). For instance, Brown and McCarthy
(1989) examined the influence of psychosocial variables in
predicting depression in PD patients. Overall, the best predictors of depression were functional disability, low self-esteem,
and avoidant coping. These variables accounted for 46% of the
variance in depression. Furthermore, positive affect and cognitive coping (eg, acceptance of illness) significantly predicted
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008:4(1)
Depression and Parkinson’s disease
lower depression. This study found that disease-related
variables (eg, severity and functional disability) do not predict a large portion of the variance in the depression that is
experienced in PD. The observed inconsistent findings suggest
that the reactivity model is in need of revision and should also
include psychosocial variables (Dakoff and Mendelson 1989;
Ehman et al 1990; Frazier 2000).
Evidence supports the notion that psychosocial factors
reliably predict depression in PD (Ehman et al 1990). After
controlling for functional disability, PD patients were
significantly more depressed than RA patients. Again, this
finding could be interpreted as evidence for the biological
model of depression in PD. However, coping style was also
examined; the RA group used significantly more cognitive
coping strategies in dealing with their disease than the PD
group. Instead, the PD group used more avoidant coping
to manage their disease. Interestingly, when PD patients
utilized cognitive coping strategies, there were significant
reductions in depression, improvements in disability, and
more frequent engagements in socialization. Thus, this
study found that disease-related variables (eg, functional
disability) are not sufficient for a clear picture of the etiology
of PD depression and that psychosocial variables, such as
coping style, are important in understanding the reactive
nature of depression in PD.
One important question that can be raised from the above
psychosocial literature is whether PD patients, who may
perseverate or lack the ability to be flexible, have difficulty
adopting more malleable coping styles. Relevant to this
question, research shows that PD patients have a tendency to
maintain stable coping patterns across the trajectory of their
illness even when such strategies lead to poor mental and
physical health outcomes (Frazier 2002). For instance, the
majority of PD patients continued to use maladaptive coping
strategies (eg, active coping for physical stressors) rather
than shift to adaptive coping strategies (eg, emotion-regulation coping) in the face of progressing motor and functional
disability (Frazier 2002). Although it was less common, PD
patients who displayed flexibility in coping strategies over
time evidenced better health outcomes. Thus, PD patients, on
the whole, may benefit from a psychosocial intervention that
educates them on utilizing appropriate coping strategies for
various stressors associated with the progressive and unpredictable nature of PD. Additionally, because the majority of
PD patients utilized stable and inflexible (ie, dispositional)
coping strategies, research directed toward differentiating PD
from other movement disorders and other non-neurologically
ill populations (eg, rheumatoid arthritis) could be conducted.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008:4(1)
These comparisons would directly test whether PD patients
by nature of their neurological disease have a particular
coping style that contributes to their depression.
In summary, as evidence does not permit discrete choice
between the biomedical or psychological position with
respect to the etiology of PD depression, a more parsimonious
perspective should include a combination of endogenous
(neurochemically based) and exogenous (environmental)
factors (eg, Poewe and Seppi 2001). Therefore, we further
examined the literature on treatment options for PD
depression to understand its etiology towards improving
quality of life for this neuropsychiatric population.
Treatment options for depression
in PD
Tricyclic antidepressants
Depression in PD has been treated effectively with tricyclic
antidepressants (TCAs). Early work prior to L-dopa use may
not be comparable to research after its introduction in 1975.
Strang (1965) conducted a double-blind study on the effects of
imipramine (150–250 mg/day) in PD and found that depression
improved for 60% of the patients. Moreover, this study found
that antidepressant therapy had a beneficial effect on rigidity,
tremors, and akinesia. Supportive studies showed that motor
deficits and depression were improved using a double-blind
study on the effects of desipramine (100 mg/day) in PD: reductions in rigidity and tremors were evident in patients whose
depression responded favorably to antidepressants (Laitnen
1969). These results suggest that TCAs can be used effectively
for treating both depression and motor disability in PD. The
association between depression and motor improvement is that
imipramine (Strang 1965) and desipramine (Laitnen 1969), as
well as nortriptyline (Anderson et al 1980) and amitriptyline
(Indaco and Carrieri 1988), block the reuptake of norepinephrine (Maxmen and Ward 1995). The mechanism for TCAs on
norepinephrine (NE) is important because of the link of NE to
parkinsonian symptoms and to dopamine (DA) levels within the
basal ganglia, and the progressive loss of noradrenergic neurons
in the locus coeruleus of PD patients (Gesi et al 2000). Animal
models of PD show that drugs that increase the concentration
of NE in the locus coeruleus (eg, 2-methoxy idazoxan) also
reduce parkinsonian symptoms and increase DA levels in the
basal ganglia of rats (Srinivasan and Schmidt 2003, 2004). In
terms of depression, TCAs also block 5-HT reuptake in the
raphe system and frontal cortex (Bel and Artigas 1996). Therefore, TCAs can improve motor and affective function in PD by
blocking NE reuptake in two distinct pathways (ie, nigrostriatal
[DA] and raphe [5-HT] systems).
85
Frisina et al
Whereas TCAs may be useful in treating depression and
motor functioning (Strang 1965; Laitinen 1969; Andersen
et al 1980), many patients cannot tolerate them although
some side effects of the TCAs in lower doses are used to
treat excess salivation and sleep derangement in PD patients.
Adverse effects of TCAs include cardiac arrhythmias, orthostatic hypotension, fatigue, and memory impairment. At
high doses, TCAs can produce confusional states, seizures,
and delirium in depressed PD patients. Because selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have a lower side
effect profile in patients without PD, physicians have more
recently been prescribing SSRIs over TCAs for depressed PD
patients (Richard and Kurlan 1997). However, it is important
to note that the safety and efficacy of SSRIs have not been
established for depressed PD patients.
Serrotonin re-uptake inhibitors
There have been several clinical trials examining the effects
of SSRIs in PD. Hauser and Zesiewicz (1997) conducted a
7-week open-label trial that examined the effects of sertraline
(25–50 mg/d) in 15 depressed PD patients. Overall, there was
a significant decrease in depression levels between baseline
and post-testing. Unlike the TCA studies described above,
sertraline did not improve motor performance measured
by the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)
(Fahn et al 1987). There have also been two open-labeled
clinical trials examining the effects of paroxetine for depression in PD. Once again, these studies found that SSRIs were
able to reduce depression, but there was also evidence of a
deterioration of motor symptoms in many of the PD patients
(Ceravolo et al 2000; Tesei et al 2000). Thus, SSRIs can be
effective in treating depression in PD but without the salutary
benefits that were seen with TCAs on motor functioning
(Strang 1965; Laitinen 1969; Anderson et al 1980; Goetz
et al 1984; Klaasen et al 1995) or even an increase in motor
symptoms. The question remains as to whether or not SSRIs
can exacerbate parkinsonian symptoms.
Research regarding the use of SSRIs in PD shows deterioration in motor symptoms in some studies (Steur 1993;
Jimenez et al 1994; Ceravolo et al 2000), while not in others
(Caley and Friedman 1992; Montastruc et al 1995; Hauser
and Zesiewicz 1997). These studies used low constraint
research methods (ie, case reports and open-label trials). More
recent placebo-controlled trials have assessed the effects of
SSRIs on depressive and motor symptoms in PD (Wermuth
et al 1998; Rampello et al 2002; Leenjens et al 2003).
Wermuth et al (1998) conducted a placebo-controlled trial
on PD patients suffering from major depression. The SSRI
86
citalopram or placebo was administered to an average of 10
subjects in each group over the course of 52 weeks. There
were no significant group differences on measures of depression (ie, HDRS), motor function (ie, UPDRS), or adverse side
effects (UKU Side Effects Scale; Lingjaerde et al 1987). Of
note, at study outset, 60% of the sample consisted of patients
with severe recurrent brief depression, which lasted for 2–3
days. Perhaps a treatment effect was not observed because
depression would have subsided in the majority of patients
after several days. Thus, this randomized placebo-controlled
trial can be criticized for containing sampling error. Leentjens
et al (2003) also conducted a study using the SSRI citalopram
(n = 6) or placebo (n = 4) on severely depressed PD patients.
Once again, there were no significant group differences in
measures of depression (ie, Montgomery-Asberg Depression
Rating Scale (MADRS)) (Montgomery and Asberg 1979) or
motor function (ie, UPDRS). Because this study contained
only 12 severely depressed PD patients, the non-significant
findings could have been due to lack of statistical power.
Rampello et al (2002) observed that citalopram improved
motor performance (ie, bradykinesia and finger tapping
speed) for both depressed (n = 18) and non-depressed
(n = 14) PD patients relative to a non-depressed placebo
(n = 14) control group. Depression was significantly reduced
for the depressed PD subgroup. The researchers argued that
improvements in depression and motor function occurred
because of the ability of SSRIs to enhance mesolimbic serotonin levels and to simultaneously reinforce dopaminergic
release in cell bodies of the nigrostriatal system via 5-HT2a
and 5-HT4 postsynaptic and/or 5-HT3 presynaptic receptors.
These findings support the biological basis of depression in
PD (Hornykiewicz 1982; Cummings 1993) and that SSRIs,
such as citalopram, might provide salutary health benefits to
depressed and non-depressed PD patients.
Monoamine-oxidase inhibitors
The biomedical approach has attributed PD-related depression to a deficit in dopaminergic (Mayeux 1992), noradrenergic (Hornykiewicz 1982), and serotonergic brainstem
ascending systems (Hornykiewicz 1982; Mayeux et al 1984).
As a result, inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO) does
not seem like an unreasonable approach to the treatment
of PD depression. The two forms of MAO inhibitors were
relevant, MAO-A (selective for noradrenaline and serotonin
metabolism for treatment of depression) and MAO-B (selective for DA and used in PD treatment), especially early on
to postpone progression of disease. If used in high doses,
MAO-B inhibitors will be active for A and B pathways.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008:4(1)
Depression and Parkinson’s disease
When selegiline is dosed at 10 mg a day or less in PD,
it can serve as an irreversible inhibitor of brain MAO-B
enzyme. Accordingly, selegiline at 10 mg a day may increase
DA levels, which in turn can improve motor function in PD
patients (Parkinson Study Group 1993). Thus, selegiline, at its
usual clinical dose, should not exert an antidepressant effect
because it selectively inhibits MAO-B (and not MAO-A)
enzymes in the adult human brain. However, selegiline was
initially introduced as an antidepressant because the drug
can also act as an MAO-A inhibitor when given at slightly
higher doses (Sunderland et al 1985).
Quitkin and colleagues (1984) tested the effects of selegiline (20 mg/day) on 17 atypical depressives without PD
and found that improvement occurred in 60% of the patients.
Mann et al (1989) conducted a double-blind placebocontrolled trial testing the effects of selegiline on patients suffering from primary depression. Depression was significantly
reduced in patients assigned to the selegiline group relative
to those assigned to the placebo control group. Additionally,
significantly greater reduction of depression scores occurred
with higher (30 mg) than with lower (30 mg) doses of
selegiline. A more recent placebo-controlled trial revealed
that transdermal selegiline (20 mg/day) administered for
6 weeks was an effective and well-tolerated treatment for 177
adult outpatients suffering from major depression (Bodkin
and Amsterdam, 2002). Therefore, selegiline could serve as
an efficacious antidepressant at higher doses in depressed
patients with PD. However, its use at higher doses in PD is
sparse, and the focus of selegiline research has been restricted
to MAO-B inhibition.
Dopamine replacement
Some literature implicates DA agonist’s utility in the treatment of depression. For instance, D2/D3 agonists (eg,
pramipexole and pergolide) have reduced depression in
non-neurologically ill patients and improved motor function
in PD patients (Corrigan et al 2000; Reichmann et al 2003;
Rektorova et al 2003). To date, there have been no known
studies examining the effects of dopaminergic antidepressants
(eg, buproprion or velaxefine) in PD. Because DA agonists
have been shown to reduce depression and improve motor
function in PD, more research is needed to examine whether
selegiline and dopaminergic antidepressants can serve as both
antidepressant and antiparkinsonian agents in PD.
A meta-analysis conducted in Parkinson’s disease
(Weintraub et al 2005) examined the effects of antidepressants on PD-related depression and obtained a large effect
size for depression outcomes in both the antidepressant
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008:4(1)
(d = 1.34) and placebo control group (d = 1.19). Further, the
researchers did not observe a significant between-group difference, Qb(1) = 0.43, p = 0.51. They concluded that antidepressant treatment has a “non-specific” effect on depression
in PD, which may be confounded because the effect size data
from their control group was derived only from two SSRI
studies that possibly contained sampling error (Wermuth
et al 1998; Leenjens et al 2003). Moreover, the researchers
excluded the TCA antidepressant class from their analysis
which may have further limited their ability to detect a significant treatment effect between the antidepressant and placebo
groups. As TCAs can be effective in treating depression and
improving motor function in PD (Strang 1965; Laitnen 1969;
Anderson et al 1980; Indaco and Carrieri 1988), physicians
in clinical care might consider using TCAs for certain situations in depressed PD patients.
Electroconvulsive therapy
The potential benefits of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
have been explored as a treatment modality for PD patients
suffering from depression. A literature review conducted
between 1975 and 1991 (Faber and Trimble 1991) provided
evidence that depression can be reduced in most PD patients
treated with ECT. Approximately 70% of PD patients
showed improvement in psychiatric disturbances (including depression) across the 21 studies reviewed. In another
study conducted on 25 depressed PD patients, depression
was significantly reduced following ECT (Moellentine
et al 1998). ECT can serve as a viable treatment option for
depressed PD patients as the electrically induced seizures can
increase both norepinephrine and serotonin levels in the brain
(Poewe and Seppi 2001). Because norepinephrine increases
DA levels in the basal ganglia and reduces motor symptoms
(Gesi et al 2000; Srinivasan and Schmidt 2003, 2004), both
affective and motor functions may be improved in PD via
ECT. In support of this notion, several studies have found
that ECT improved motor symptoms (Douyone et al 1989;
Friedman and Gordon 1992; Mollentine et al 1998; Strome
et al 2007) and depressed mood in PD patients (Faber and
Trimble 1991).
Although these positive outcomes seem to suggest that
ECT can serve as an alternative treatment to antidepressant
therapy, risks for developing side effects such as delirium
(Moellentine et al 1998) can occur with ECT use in PD.
ECT may not be a first line therapy unless PD patients are
self-destructive and/or non-responsive to drug therapy (Kim
and Hershey 1988). The majority of depressed PD patients
tend to suffer from mild to moderate depression and are
87
Frisina et al
not suicidal (Slaughter et al 2001), so that safe and effective
treatments still rely on pharmacological or behavioral
treatments. Consequently, ECT is not appropriate for most
PD patients.
Psychotherapy
Consensus among physicians and researchers posits that
psychotherapy can be a helpful treatment modality for PD
patients, in general, and especially for those individuals who
are suffering from mild or moderate depression (Dakof and
Mendelsohn 1986; Poewe and Luginger 1999; Kremmer
and Starkstein 2000; Slaughter et al 2001). For instance,
behavioral therapy around the time of PD diagnosis and
during advancing stages of the illness can adequately control for mood disorders in many PD patients (Poewe and
Luginger 1999). Brown and Jahanshashi (1995) suggested
that a psychotherapy program should be adapted to each PD
patient to prevent and treat the depression that is associated
with the disease. These researchers further suggested that the
program should focus on disability and handicaps produced
by PD and should be continued throughout the course of the
illness (Brown and Jahanshashi 1995).
Whereas the importance of psychotherapy appears to be
well recognized by the medical community, surprisingly,
a literature search of the Medline and Psych-Info abstract
indices generated only two experimental studies on the effects
of a behavioral-cognitive intervention of any kind for PD
patients suffering from affective disturbances (Ellgring et al
1993; Trend et al 2002). Ellgring et al (1993) systematically
explored whether PD patients would respond favorably to
a psychological intervention. Overall, counseling aimed at
facilitating cognitive restructuring was able to reduce overall
stress, improve social functioning, and increase acceptance of
the illness. Whether this intervention would have improved
depression, in particular, in this sample of PD patients is
unclear because it was not assessed as a health outcome by
the researchers (Ellgrig et al 1993).
Trend et al (2002) observed that depression scores were
significantly reduced for PD patients after receiving relaxation
training and individual talks from a multidisciplinary team of
therapists, including a PD nurse specialist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, and care manager, over a
6-week period. Although improvements in mood at post-testing
were noted, none of the patients could be classified as depressed
because of their low baseline scores on a non-validated measure
of depression (ie, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale)
in PD. Therefore, the efficacy of behavioral-cognitive therapy
has yet to be established for depressed PD patients.
88
Conclusions
Delayed treatment of depression in PD will lead to reduced
quality of life. We believe that a multidisciplinary (eg,
pharmacotherapy, psychoeducational, and/or psychotherapy)
approach to treatment should be assumed. Nonetheless,
before PD patients can be treated, they need to be accurately diagnosed with depression, and to reiterate, it is often
difficult to diagnose depression in this clinical population
because many of the symptoms of PD and depression overlap
(Edwards et al 2002). Programs of research that focus on the
measurement of depression in PD are urgently needed so that
more patients can be actively identified and treated for their
affective disturbances.
Acknowledgments
A portion of this work was conducted while Dr. Frisina was
an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Iona College. This
work was supported, in part, by a grant award from The LeirRidgefield Foundation to The Jewish Home and Hospital and
by NIH R01 DC01150 subcontract and Professional Staff
Congress-CUNY Research Award 64299-0033 to Queens
College.
We would like to thank Barbara S. Koppel, M.D., for her
insightful comments on the manuscript.
Note
1
Currently, there are several scales that are used to measure
health-related quality of life in PD, both generic (non-specific
to PD) and specific to PD (Bergner et al 1981; Jenkinson et al
1988; Peto et al 1995).
References
Anderson J, Aabro E, Gulmann N, et al 1980. Anti-depressive treatment
in Parkinson’s disease: a controlled trial of the effect of nortriptyline
in patients with Parkinson’s disease treated with L-dopa. Acta Neurol
Scand, 62:210–19.
Beck AT, Ward CH, Mendelson M, et al 1961. An inventory for measuring
depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 4:561–71.
Bel N, Artigas F. 1996. In vivo effects of the simultaneous blockade of
serotonin and norepinephrine transporters on serotonergic function.
Microdialysis studies. J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 278:1064–72.
Bergner M, Bobbitt RA, Carter WB, et al 1981. The sickness impact profile:
development and final revision of a health status measure. Med Care,
19:787–805.
Bodkin JA, Amsterdam JD. 2002. Transdermal selegiline in major
depression: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study
in outpatients. Am J Psychiatry, 159:1869–75.
Brod M, Mendoelsohn GA, Roberts B. 1998. Patients’ experience of
Parkinson’s disease. J Gerontol, 53B:213–22.
Brody AL, Barsom MW, Bota RG, et al 2001. Prefrontal-subcortical and
limbic circuit mediation of major depressive disorder. Semin Clin
Neuropsychiatry, 6:102–12.
Brown R, MacCarthy B, Gotham AM, et al 1988. Depression and disability
in Parkinson’s disease: a follow-up study of 132 cases. Psychol Med,
18:49–55.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008:4(1)
Depression and Parkinson’s disease
Brown R, MacCarthy B. 1989. Psychosocial factors in Parkinson’s disease.
Br J Clin Psychol, 28:41–52.
Brown R, Jahanshashi M. 1995. Depression Parkinson’s disease: a
psychosocial viewpoint. Adv Neurol, 65:61–84.
Caley CF, Friedman JH. 1992. Does fluoxetine exacerbate Parkinson’s
disease? J Clin Psychiatry 53:278–82.
Celesia GG, Wanamaker WM. 1972. Psychiatric disturbances in Parkinson’s
disease. Dis Nerv System, 33:577–83.
Ceravolo R, Nuti A, Piccinni A et al 2000. Paroxetine in Parkinson’s disease:
effects on motor and depressive symptoms. Neurology, 55:1216–18.
Cheifetz DL, Garron DC, Leavitt F, et al 1971. Emotional disturbance
accompanying the treatment of parkinsonism with L-DOPA. Clinic
Pharmacol Therapeutics, 12:56–61.
Corrigan MH, Denahan AQ, Wright CE et al 2000: Comparison of
pramipexole, fluoxetine, and placebo in patients major depression.
Depress Anxi, 11:58–65.
Cummings JL. 1992. Depression and Parkinson’s disease: a review. Am J
Psychiatry, 149:443–54.
Cummings JL. 1993. Frontal-subcortical circuits and human behavior. Arch
Neurol, 50:873–80.
Dakoff GA, Mendelsohn GA. 1986. Parkinson’s disease: the psychological
aspects of a chronic illness. Psychol Bull, 99:375–87.
Dakof GA, Mendelsohn GA. 1989. Patterns of adaptation to Parkinson’s
disease. Health Psychol, 8:355–72.
Dalrymple-Alford JC, Kalders AS, Jones RD, et al 1994. A central executive
deficit in patients with Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol Neurosurg
Psychiatry, 57:360–7.
De Boer AG, Wijker W, Speelman JD, et al 1996. Quality of life in patients
with Parkinson’s disease: development of a questionnaire. J Neurol
Neurosurg Psychiatry, 61:70–4.
Dodel RC, Berger K, Oertel WH. 2001. Health-related quality of life
and healthcare necessity in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Pharmacoeconomics, 19:1013–38.
Douyon R, Serby M, Klutchko B, et al 1989. ECT and Parkinson’s disease
revisted: a “naturalistic” study. Am J Psychiatry, 146:1451–55.
Edwards E, Kitt C, Oliver E, et al 2002. Depression and Parkinson’s disease:
a new look at an old problem. Depress Anxi, 16:39–48.
Ehmann TS, Beninger RJ, Gawel MJ, et al 1990. Depressive symptoms
in Parkinson’s disease: a comparison with disabled control subjects.
J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol, 3:3–9.
Ellgring H, Seiler S, Perleth B, et al 1993. Psychosocial aspects of
Parkinson’s disease. Neurology, 43:S41–4.
Emre M. 2003. What causes mental dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease?
Mov Disord, 18:S63–71.
Faber R, Trimble M. 1991. Electroconvulsive therapy, Parkinson’s disease
and other movement disorders. Mov Disord, 6:293–03.
Fahn S, Elton RL. 1987. Members of the UPDRS development committee.
United parkinson’s disease rating scale. In Fahn S, Marsden, Calne
DB, Goldstein M (ed). Recent developments in Parkinson’s disease,
2nd ed. Florham Park (NJ): Macmillan Health Care Information. p
153–64.
Fleminger S. 1991. Left-sided Parkinson’s disease is associated with greater
anxiety and depression. Psychol Med, 21:629–38.
Frazier LD. 2000. Coping with disease-related stressors in Parkinson’s
disease. The Gerontologist, 40:53–63.
Frazier LD. 2002. Stability and change in patterns of coping with Parkinson’s
disease. Int J Aging Hum Dev, 55:207–31.
Friedman J, Gordon N. 1992. Electroconvulsive therapy in Parkinson’s
disease: a report on five cases. Convulsive Therapy, 8:204–10.
Gesi M, Soldani P, Giorgi FS, et al 2000. The role of the locus coeruleus
in the development of Parkinson’s disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev,
24:655–68.
Goetz CG, Tanner CM, Klawans HL. 1984. Bupropion in Parkinson’s
disease. Neurology, 34:1092–4.
Goodwin FK, Murphey DL, Brodie HK, et al 1970. L-DOPA, catecholamines, and behavior: a clinical and biochemical study in depressed
patients. Biol Psychiatry, 2:341–66.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008:4(1)
Gotham AM, Brown RG, Marsden CD. 1986. Depression in Parkinson’s
disease: a quantitative and qualitative analysis. J Neurol Neurosurg
Psychiatry, 49:381–9.
Hamilton M. 1960. A rating scale for depression. Journal of Neurology,
Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 23:56–62.
Hauser RA, Zesiewicz TA. 1997. Sertraline for the treatment of depression
in Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord, 12:756–9.
Hobson P, Holden A, Meara J. 1999. Measuring the impact of Parkinson’s
disease with the Parkinson’s disease quality of life questionnaire. Age
Aging, 28:341–6.
Hoehn MM, Crowley TJ, Rutledge CO. 1976. Dopamine correlated of neurological and psychological status in untreated parkinsonism. J Neurol
Neurosurg Psychiatry, 39:941–51.
Horn S. 1974. Some psychological factors in parkinsonism. J Neurol
Neurosurg Psychiatry, 37:27–31.
Hornykiewicz O. 1982. Imbalance of brain monoamines and clinical
disorders. Prog Brain Res, 55:419–21.
Huber SJ, Paulson GW, Shuttleworth EC. 1988. Depression in Parkinson’s
disease. Neuropsychiatry Neuropsychol Behav Neurol, 1:47–51.
Hughes TA, Ross HF, Musa S, et al 2000. A 10-year study of the incidence
and factors predicting dementia in Parkinson’s disease. Neurology,
54:1596–02.
Indaco A, Carrieri PD. 1988. Amitriptyline in the treatment of headache in
patients with Parkinson’s disease. Neurology, 38:1720–2.
Jenkinson C, Fitzpatrick R, Argyle M. 1988. The Nottingham health profile:
an analysis of its sensitivity in differentiating illness groups. Soc Sci
Med, 27:1411–14.
Jimenez-Jimenez FJ, Tejeiro J, Martinez-Junquera G, et al 1994.
Parkinsonism exacerbated by paroxetine. Neurology, 44:240–6.
Karlsen KH, Larsen JP, Tandberg E, et al 1999. Influence of clinical and
demographic variables on quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s
disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 66:431–5.
Keranen T, Kaakkola S, Sotaniemi K, et al 2003. Economic burden and
quality of life impairment increase with severity of PD. Parkinsonism
Relat Disord, 9:163–8.
Kim KY, Hershey LA. 1988. Diagnosis and treatment of depression in the
elderly. Int J Psychiatry Med, 18:211–21.
Klaassen T, Verhey FRJ, Sneijders GHJ, et al 1995. Treatment of depression
in Parkinson’s disease: a meta-analysis. J Neuropsychiatry Clin
Neurosci, 7:281–6.
Kostic VS, Djuricic BM, Covickovic-Sternic N, et al 1987. Depression
and Parkinson’s disease: possible role of serotonergic mechanisms.
J Neurol, 234:94–6.
Kremer J, Starkstein SE. 2000. Affective disorders In Parkinson’s disease.
Int Rev Psychiatry, 12:290–7.
Kuzis G, Sabe L, Tiberti C, et al 1997. Cognitive functions in major
depression and Parkinson’s disease. Arch Neurol, 54:982–6.
Laitinen L. 1969. Desipramine in treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Acta
Neurol Scand, 45:109–13.
Leentjens AFG, Verhey FR, Lousberg R, et al 2000. The validity of the
Hamilton and Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scales as screening and diagnostic tools for depression in Parkinson’s disease. Int J
Geriatric Psychiatry, 15:644–9.
Leentjens AFG, Verhey FRJ, Luijckx GJ, et al 2000. The validity of the Beck
Depression. Inventory as a screening and diagnostic instrument for depression in patients with parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord, 6:1221–4.
Leentjens AFG, Vreeling FW, Luijckx GJ, et al 2003. SSRIs in the
treatment of depression in Parkinson’s disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry,
18:552–4.
Lesser RP, Fahn S, Snider SR, et al 1979. Analysis of the clinical problems
in parkinsonism and the complications of long term levodopa therapy.
Neurology, 29:1253–60.
Levy G, Schupf N, Tang MX, et al 2002. Combined effect of age and
severity on the risk of dementia in Parkinson’s disease. Ann Neurol,
51:722–9.
Lingjaerde O, Ahlfors UG, Bech Pet al 1987. The UKU side effect rating
scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand, 76(Suppl 334):1–99.
89
Frisina et al
Lombardi WJ, Woolston DJ, Roberts JW, et al 2001. Cognitive deficits in
patients with essential tremor. Neurology, 57:785–90.
MacCarthy B, Brown R. 1989. Psychosocial factors in Parkinson’s disease.
Br J ClinPsychol, 28:41–52.
Mann JJ, Aarons SF, Wilner PJ, et al 1989. A controlled study of the
antidepressant efficacy and side effects of (−)-deprenyl. A selective
monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 46:45–50.
Marinus J, Ramaker C, van Hilten JJ, et al 2002. Health related quality
of life in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review of disease specific
instruments. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 72:241–8.
Marsh GG, Markham CH. 1973. Does levodopa alter depression and
psychopathology in parkinsonism patients? J Neurol Neurosurg
Psychiatry, 36:925–35.
Martin SD, Martin E, Rai SS, et al 2001. Brain blood flow changes in depressed
patients treated with interpersonal psychotherapy or venlafaxine
hydrochloride: Preliminary finding. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 58:641–8.
Maxmen JS, Ward NG. 1995. Psychotropic drugs: fast facts. New York and
London: W.W. Norton and Company.
Mayberg HS, Starkstein SE, Sadzot B, et al 1990. Selective hypometabolism
in the inferior frontal lobe in depressed patients with Parkinson’s
disease. Ann Neurol, 28:57–64.
Mayberg HS, Solomon DH. 1995. Depression in Parkinson’s disease: a
biochemical and organic viewpoint. Adv Neurol, 65:49–60.
Mayeux R, Stern Y, Rosen J, et al 1981. Depression, intellectual impairment
and Parkinson’s disease. Neurology, 31:645–50.
Mayeux R. 1984. Behavioral manifestations movement disorders:
Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. Neurol Clin, 2:527–40.
Mayeux R, Stern Y, Cote L, et al 1984. Altered serotonin metabolism in
depressed patients with Parkinson’s disease. Neurology, 34:642–6.
Mayeux R, Stern Y, Williams JBW, et al 1986. Clinical and biomchemical
features of depression in Parkinson’s disease. Am J Psychiatry,
43:756–9.
Mayeux R. 1992. The mental status in Parkinson’s disease. In Koller WC
(ed). Handbook of Parkinson’s disease. Marcel Decker Inc. p 159–84.
Menza MA, Mark M.H. 1994. Parkinson’s disease and depression: the
relationship to disability and personality. J Neuropsychiatr Clin
Neurosci, 6:165–9.
Meyerowitz BE. 1980. Psychosocial correlates of breast cancer and its
treatment. Psychol Bull, 87:108–31.
Mindham RH, Marsden CD, Parkes JD. 1976. Psychiatric symptoms during
L-DOPA therapy for Parkinson’s disease and their relationship to
physical disability. Psychol Med, 6:23–33.
Mindham RH, Ahmed SW, Clough CG. 1982. A controlled study of
dementia in Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry,
45:969–74.
Moellentine C, Rummans T, Ahlskog EJ, et al 1998. Effectiveness of
ECT in patients with parkinsonism. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci,
10:187–93.
Montastruc JL, Fabre N, Blin O, et al 1995. Does fluoxetine aggravate
Parkinson’s disease? A pilot prospective study. Mov Disord,
10:355–7.
Montgomery SA, Åsberg M, 1979. A new depression scale designed to be
sensitive to change. British Journal of Psychiatry, 134:382–89.
Morrison C, Borod J, Brin M, et al 2000. A program for neuropsychological
investigation of Deep Brain Stimulation (PNIDBS) in movement
disorder patients: Development, feasibility, and preliminary data.
Neuropsychiatry Neuropsychol Behav Neurol, 13:204–19.
Parkinson Study Group. 1993. Effects of tocopherol and deprenyl on the
progression of disability in early Parkinson’s disease. N Engl J Med,
328:176–83.
Paulus W, Trenkwalder C. 1998. Imaging of nonmotor symptoms in
Parkinson syndromes. Clinl Neurosci, 5:115–20.
Peto V, Jenkinson C, Fitzpatrick R, et al 1995. The development and
validation of a short measure of functioning and well being for
individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Qual Life Res, 4:241–8.
Poewe W, Luginger E. 1999. Depression in Parkinson’s disease: impediments to recognition and treatment options. Neurology, 52:S2–6.
90
Poewe W, Seppi K. 2001. Treatment options for depression and psychosis
in Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol, 248:312–21.
Quitkin F, Liebowitz MR, Stewart JW, et al 1984. L-deprenyl in atypical
depressives. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 41:777–81.
Rampello L, Chiechio S, Raffaele R, et al 2002. The SSRI, citalopram,
improves bradykinesia in patients with Parkinson’s disease treated with
l-dopa. Clin Neuropharmacol, 25:21–4.
Raskin S, Borod J, Tweedy J. 1990. Neuropsychological aspects of
Parkinson’s Disease. Neuropsychol Rev, 1:185–21.
Reichmann H, Brecht MH, Koster J, et al 2003. Pramipexole in routine
clinical practice: a prospective observational trial in Parkinson’s disease.
CNS Drugs, 17:965–73.
Rektorova I, Rector I, Bares M, et al 2003. Pramipexole and pergolide in the
treatment of depression in Parkinson’s disease: a national multicentre
prospective randomized study. Eur J Neurol, 10:399–406.
Richard IH, Kurlan R. 1997. A survey of antidepressant drug use in Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson Study Group. Neurology, 49:1168–70.
Robins AH 1976. Depression in patients with parkinsonism. Br J Psychiatry, 128:141–5.
Rubin E, Sackeim HA, Nobler MS, et al 1994. Brain imaging studies of
antidepressant treatments. Psychiatr Ann, 24:653–8.
Sagar HJ. 1999. Clinicopathological heterogeneity and non-dopaminergic influences on behavior in Parkinson’s disease. Adv Neurol,
80:409–17.
Schrag A, Jahanshahi M, Quinn NP. 2001. What contributes to depression
in Parkinson’s disease? Psychol Med, 31:65–73.
Scott B, Borgman H, Engler B, et al 2000. Gender differences in Parkinson’s
disease symptom profile. Acta Neurol Scand, 102:37–43.
Schrag A, Jahanshahi M, Quinn NP. 2001. What contributes to depression
in Parkinson’s disease? Psychol Med, 31:65–73.
Singer E. 1976. Sociopsychological factors influencing response to levodopa
therapy for Parkinson’s disease. Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 57:328–34.
Slaughter JR, Slaughter KA, Nichols D, et al 2001. Prevalence, clinical
manifestations, etiology, and treatment of depression in Parkinson’s
disease. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, 13:187–96.
Starkstein SE, Preziosi TJ, Bolduc PL, et al 1990. Depression in Parkinson’s
disease. J Nerv Ment Dis, 178:37–41.
Stern Y, Marder K, Tang MX, et al 1993. Antecedent clinical features associated with dementia in Parkinson’s disease. Neurology, 43:1690–2.
Steur EN. 1993. Increase of Parkinson disability after fluoxetine medication.
Neurology, 43:211–13.
Strome EM, Zis, AP, Doudet DJ. 2007. Electroconvulsive shock enhances
striatal dopamine D(1) and D(3) receptor binding and improves
motor performance in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. J Psychiatry Neurosci,
32:193–202.
Srinivasan J, Schmidt WJ. 2003. Potentiation of parkinsonian symptoms
by depletion of locus coeruleus noradrenaline in 6-hydroxydopamineinduced partial degeneration of substantia nigra in rats. Eur J Neurosci,
17:2586–92.
Srinivasan J, Schmidt WJ. 2004. Treatment with alpha2-adrenoceptor
antagonist, 2-methoxyidazoxan, protects 6-hydroxydopamine-induced
parkinsonian symptoms in rats: neurochemical and behavioral evidence.
Beh Brain Res, 154:353–63.
Strang RR. 1965. Imipramine in treatment of Parkinsonism: a double-blind
placebo study. BMJ, 2:33–4.
Sunderland T, Muller EA, Cohen RM, et al 1985. Tyramine pressor sensitivity changes during deprenyl treatment. Psychopharmacol, 86:432–37.
Tandberg E, Larsen JP, Aarsland D, et al 1997. Risk factors for depression
in Parkinson’s disease. Arch Neurol, 54:625–30.
Tesei S, Antonini A, Canesi M, et al 2000. Tolerability of paroxetine in
Parkinson’s disease: a prospective study. Mov Disord, 15:986–9.
Trend P, Kaye J, Gage H, et al 2002. Short-term effectiveness of intensive
multidisciplinary rehabilitation for people with Parkinson’s disease and
their carers. Clin Rehabil, 16:717–25.
Uekermann J, Daum I, Peters S, et al 2003. Depressed mood and executive dysfunction in early Parkinson’s disease. Acta Neurol Scand,
107:341–8.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008:4(1)
Depression and Parkinson’s disease
Warburton JW. 1967. Depressive symptoms in Parkinson patients referred
for thalamotomy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 30:368–70.
Weintraub D, Morales KH, Moberg PJ, et al 2005: Antidepressant studies
in Parkinson’s disease: a review and meta-analysis. Mov Disord,
20:1161–9.
Wermuth L, Sorensen PS, Timm S, et al 1998. Depression in idiopathic
Parkinson’s disease treated with citalopram. Nord J Psychiatry,
52:163–9.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2008:4(1)
View publication stats
Yesavage JA, Brink TL, Rose TL, et al 1982. Development and validation
of a geriatric depression rating scale: a preliminary report. J Psych
Res, 17:37–49.
Zesiewicz TA, Gold M, Chari G, et al 1999. Current issues in depression in
Parkinson’s disease. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 7:110–18.
Zgaljardic D, Borod J, Foldi N, et al 2003. A review of the cognitive and
behavioral sequelae of Parkinson’s disease: Relationship to frontostriatal circuitry. Cogn Behav Neurol, 16:193–210.
91