Depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to investigate the relationship between the presence and severity of depression and the degree of motor and functional disability in Parkinson's disease (PD).


METHODS
One hundred twenty-two outpatients with PD were enrolled in a neurology department: 65 satisfied the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fourth Edition criteria for major depression, and 57 did not (PD-C). Depressive symptoms were assessed by means of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), and the PD severity was assessed according to the Hoehn and Yahr System. Activities of daily living and motor symptoms were measured by the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS), parts II and III.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine patients had a mild depression (HRSD total score ranging between 8 and 17), 30 had a moderate depression (HRSD total score ranging between 18 and 24), and 6 had a severe depression (HRSD total score, ≥25). By comparing the 3 groups of patients, it emerged that those with a severe depression showed significantly higher scores at the UPDRS II, UPDRS III, and HY scales than did PD-C or patients with a mild depression. Moreover, patients with a moderate depression scored significantly higher on the UPDRS II, UPDRS III, and HY scales than did PD-C or those with a mild depression.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that depression and motor symptoms/well-being are highly intertwined in patients with PD.
Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Pharmacology, and Biotechnologies, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, Italy. a.piccinni@med.unipi.it
Armando
A
Piccinni
Donatella
D
Marazziti
Antonello
A
Veltri
Roberto
R
Ceravolo
Carla
C
Ramacciotti
Marina
M
Carlini
Alessandro
A
Del Debbio
Elisa
E
Schiavi
Ubaldo
U
Bonuccelli
Liliana
L
Dell'Osso
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index