P0253 - Depression and Parkinson's disease: Frequency and treatment

Abstract

Parkinson's disease represents the affection of extrapyramidal system - part of the central nervous system. Dominating clinical signs are tremor, rigor, bradykinesia, and postural instability. It is widely known that Parkinson's disease is connected with psychical symptoms, which can precede the neurological symptoms or appear during the illness itself. These symptoms are represented by psychomotor retardation, symptoms of depression, or dementia in Parkinson's disease.

This study was conducted at Neuropsychiatric Ward of Military Hospital Nis in a period January - September 2007. It included all the patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, treated in this ward in a period January - September 2007. We tried to establish appearance of comorbid psychiatric symptoms / syndromes, especially depressive syndrome, within the basic neurological disorder. Investigators followed patients' neurological status through regular neurological examination and symptoms of depression were assessed with Hamilton's Depression Scale (HDRS) that was used as instrument of clinical assessment.

Results of this study confirm previously reported facts that depression is one of the most common psychiatric syndromes connected to Parkinson's disease, weather as prodromal symptom or as comorbid disorder. Results of the study indicate that depression is rarely recognized as prodromal symptom of Parkinson's disease, which has it's negative influence considering successful treatment of this disorder. Patients treated at this ward were treated with antidepressants (SSRI and SARI group), all along with causal treatment, which improved their psychological, but also neurological condition.