Depression in Parkinson''s Disease: Specific Features
Study Objective: To clarify the clinical features of depression in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and the relationship between depression and motor and non-motor symptoms of PD. Additionally, the study aimed to evaluate the impact of depression on various aspects of the quality of life in PD patients. Materials and Methods: Overall, 162 non-demented PD patients (aged 62.14 ± 1.99, disease duration 5.78 ± 0.58 years, Hoehn and Yahr stage 2.5 ± 0.6) were examined during the study. The study was focused on assessing motor functions, the intensity of depression and anxiety, sleep disorders, sleepiness, apathy, fatigue, and cognitive functions. Results: Depression was detected in 136 patients (84%). Most patients (46.67%) had mild depression and 18.5% of patients had mild-to-moderate depression, while in 23.7% and 11.1% of patients it was moderate and severe, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a high prevalence of depression among PD patients, with mild and moderate disease being the most common. The most severe depression was observed in patients with new-onset emotional disturbance in the non-motor stage of PD and in patients who were developing motor fluctuations. Thy study also showed that depression was associated with anxiety, insomnia, ans attention problems. Depression was shown to influence the quality of life, as it impaired patients' mobility and social life.