Subthreshold depression in patients with Parkinson's disease and dementia--clinical and demographic correlates.
BACKGROUND
About 40% of the patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have depressive symptoms, either major depression (MD) or subthreshold depression. Depression was found to be associated with age and age at onset of PD, female gender, more severe parkinsonism, in particular with left-sided and akinetic-rigid symptoms, more functional impairment and cognitive impairment.However, the findings are inconsistent and partly contradictory and most of the studies focused on major depression in PD without dementia. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between subthreshold depression and other clinical features in 538 PD patients with dementia but without MD drawn from a randomized, placebo-controlled multicentre trial of rivastigmine in PD.


RESULTS
One hundred and sixteen patients (21%) had subthreshold depression. Depression was associated with a younger age and age at onset and female gender, but not with severity of parkinsonism, cognition or activities of daily living or laterality of motor symptoms. However, in male patients, an association between depression and left-sided parkinsonism was found.


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to previous findings in PD patients with major depression but without dementia, we found no relationship between subthreshold depression and other clinical symptoms in patients with PDD.
Ehrt
Uwe
U
Norwegian Centre for Movement Disorders, Stavanger University Hospital, Norway. uehr@sir.no
Brønnick
Kolbjørn
K
De Deyn
Peter Paul
PP
Emre
Murat
M
Tekin
Sibel
S
Lane
Roger
R
Aarsland
Dag
D
D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D048448:Phenylcarbamates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D000068836:Rivastigmine; D012737:Sex Factors
D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D048448:Phenylcarbamates; D000068836:Rivastigmine