Objective: Describe the sociodemographic and clinical variables of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) in the outpatient clinic (OC) of a neurological national center of reference.
Background: MDD in patients with PD is clinically different from MDD in patients without PD.
Method: Patients were evaluated in the neuropsychiatry OC. Diagnosis of PD was made by a movement disorder specialist. All patients were evaluated during the “ON” treatment phase of PD. Data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. MMSE, GDS, MADRS and MoCA were applied.
Results: 99 patients were included. Mean age was 74±2.52 years. 58.51% were male, 35.11% had education superior to high school, 40.43% were employed, 68.09% had a partner, 29.79% had history of a psychiatric illness, 65.96% consumed caffeine and 14.89% tobacco. Initial most frequent symptom of the disease was tremor (67.02%) and the onset was more frequent in the right side (57.4%). LD/CD treatment prevalence was 79.79%. Half of patients were classified as moderate to severe (M/S) MDD, 24.47% had already treatment for MDD and in 80.85% was started/changed. In 39.39% sertraline was initiated, in 15.15% duloxetine and in 1.01% Mirtazapine. Average scores of scales were MADRS 21.33±5.49, GDS 8±2.65, MoCA 21.33±5.49 and MMSE 26.67±1.2. Males had more sensitive alterations (p=0.014), higher education (p=0.043), more tobacco use (p=0.003) and had more partners (p=0.002) than females. Females had a GDS and MMSE scores superior to the male population (p=0.014, p=0.043; respectively). Patients with M/S MDD had a higher GDS score (p<0.001), more rigidity at the beginning of PD (P=0.005), less march alterations (p=0.023) and a more prevalence of left-side initial disease (p=0.037). Rigidity and GDS score were associated with MDD M/S (OR 3.75 p=9.013, OR 1.39 p<0.001; respectively). Also, tremor, rigidity and GDS score were associated with M/S MDD in males (OR 0.27 p=0.025, OR 4.39 p=0.047, OR 1.38 p=0.005; respectively). In females, GDS score was associated with M/S MDD (OR 2.54 p=0.011).
Conclusion: Men were more prone to MDD than females. Self-perception of depression and cognitive impairment were worse in female population. M/S MDD prevalence was as high as 50% in PD patients. We stress the importance of raising awareness about MDD in PD.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
R. Janssen Aguilar, A. Ruiz Chow, M. Rodriguez Violante, P. Rojas Castañeda, A. Cervantes Arriaga, E. Ruiz Sanchez, Y. Alcantara Flores, A. Marquez Duarte. Naturalistic study of depression and Parkinson´s Disease in a third level of attention in Mexico City [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2020; 35 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/naturalistic-study-of-depression-and-parkinsons-disease-in-a-third-level-of-attention-in-mexico-city/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to MDS Virtual Congress 2020
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/naturalistic-study-of-depression-and-parkinsons-disease-in-a-third-level-of-attention-in-mexico-city/