title: Reduced body mass index in Parkinson's disease: contribution of comorbid depression.
abstract: Courses of Parkinson's disease (PD) that are complicated by weight loss result in poorer overall treatment outcome and lower quality of life. To determine the contribution of depression, which has not yet been specified in the etiology of weight loss in PD, symptomatology and anamnesis from 215 outpatients diagnosed with PD were assessed using a comprehensive battery of neuropsychiatric scales. A percentage of 31 comorbid depressed patients and a comparison with a control population allowed an accurate characterization of effect sizes, sex differences, and patterns of the contribution of comorbid depression to weight loss. Our study showed that comorbid depression had a clinically relevant effect concerning reduced body mass index in male (0.3; Hedges' g) but not in female PD patients. Although some possible confounders are not controlled here, our results support the need of monitoring depressive symptoms in the courses of PD, particularly in male patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. max.pilhatsch@uniklinikum-dresden.de
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pilhatsch
authors.forename: Nils B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Kroemer
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ebersbach
authors.forename: Wolfgang H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Jost
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Odin
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reifschneider
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reichmann
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Storch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*