Which symptoms of anxiety diminish after surgical interventions for Parkinson disease?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the current study was to address whether improvement in anxious symptoms after surgical treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) reflects a true reduction in anxiety as opposed to an epiphenomenon of parkinsonian symptom amelioration.


BACKGROUND
Recent research suggests that anxiety is common in PD. An association between surgical intervention for PD and anxiety reduction has been reported; however, it is not clear which specific symptoms of anxiety improve.


METHODS
Thirty-nine PD patients completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) approximately 1 month before and 4 months after surgery. Twenty-four participants underwent unilateral pallidotomy, 10 underwent deep brain stimulating electrode implantation of the internal segment of the globus pallidus, 4 underwent thalamic deep brain stimulating electrode implantation, and 1 underwent left thalamotomy.


RESULTS
Statistically significant reductions were found postoperatively in terms of BAI total score as well as neurophysiologic, autonomic, and subjective factors from the BAI. The panic factor did not significantly change after surgery, possibly secondary to limited power afforded by the sample size.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that surgical intervention for PD is associated with reduction in anxiety symptoms distinct from symptoms of PD. In other words, improvement in anxious symptoms reflects a true reduction in anxiety rather than simply being an epiphenomenon of parkinsonian symptom amelioration.
Higginson
C I
CI
Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, USA.
Fields
J A
JA
Tröster
A I
AI
D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013788:Thalamus / Q000601:surgery*