title: Influence of depressive symptoms on dopaminergic treatment of Parkinson's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depressive symptoms are very common in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and have a significant impact on the quality of life. Dopaminergic medication has been shown to have an influence on the development of depressive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study analyzed two groups of non-demented patients with PD, with and without depressive symptoms, and reported the correlations between antiparkinsonian medication [specifically levodopa (l-DOPA) and dopaminergic agonists] with depressive symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A strong statistically significant positive correlation between l-DOPA dosages and the level of depressive symptoms has been revealed, suggesting that higher l-DOPA dosages correlate with a worsening of depressive status. No significant correlation was found with dopamine agonists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study show that in patients with PD, higher l-DOPA dosages correlate with worse depressive symptoms. From this point of view, PD patients need to be better diagnosed with respect to depressive symptoms and need additional treatment adjustment when clinical manifestations of depression are present. Clinicians must be aware that dopaminergic drugs are not sufficient to alleviate depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal , Montreal, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Alexandru
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hanganu
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal , Montreal, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Clotilde
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Degroot
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal , Montreal, QC , Canada ; Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal , Montreal, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Oury
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Monchi
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Études Avancées en Médecine du Sommeil, Hôpital du Sacré Coeur de Montréal , Montreal, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bedetti
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal , Montreal, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Béatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mejia-Constain
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorders Unit, McGill University Health Center , Montreal, QC , Canada ; Department of Neurology, Montreal Neurological Hospital , Montreal, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Anne-Louise
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Lafontaine
authors.affiliation: Unité des troubles du mouvement André Barbeau, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal , Montreal, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chouinard
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal , Montreal, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Andrée
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bruneau
keywords: Parkinson’s disease; depressive symptoms; dopamine agonists; l-DOPA