Depressive disorders and anti-parkinson drug treatment: a case register study.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the rate of treatment with anti-parkinson drugs (APD) among patients with depression.


METHODS
In a nationwide case register linkage study, all persons with a main diagnosis of depression during 5 years were identified. A control group of persons with diagnoses of osteoarthritis was included. The subsequent risk of getting treatment with APD was estimated for the two groups. Statistical analyses involved Poisson's regression and competing risk models.


RESULTS
A total of 14 991 persons were included. The rate of getting APD was 2.57 (95% CI: 1.46-4.52) times higher for persons with depression than for persons with osteoarthritis. Overall, the rate was highest for men. However, women with depression had a 3.89 (95% CI: 1.98-7.62) times higher rate of APD treatment as women with osteoarthritis while no significant difference was found among men.


CONCLUSIONS
Provided that prescription of APD reflects the presence of Parkinson's disease, results support a positive statistical association between depressive disorders and Parkinson's disease.
Brandt-Christensen
M
M
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. mette.brandt@rh.dk
Lopez
A G
AG
Nilsson
F M
FM
Andersen
P K
PK
Kessing
L V
LV
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents