Category: Parkinson's Disease: Non-Motor Symptoms
Objective: This study aimed to identify clinical predictors and management implications for depression in an Australian cohort of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients.
Background: Depression is an often under-recognised feature of PD. It has detrimental effects on physical and interpersonal functioning that negatively impact on a patient’s clinical management, quality of life and well-being.
Method: 103 PD and 81 Healthy Control (HC) subjects were evaluated for clinically significant impacts to PD-related depression using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), as well as various PD-validated motor and non-motor symptom (NMS) tools.
Results: Nearly twice as many PD patients were clinically depressed (38.9% vs 20.1%, p=0.009), with an odds ratio of 2.4 (95% confidence interval 1.2 – 4.7) and an increase in depression severity on the Beck Depression Inventory (11.9; standard deviation 8.8 vs 5.2; SD 5.5, p<0.001). Employment presented as a relative protective factor, whilst patients requiring support services were more vulnerable to depression. Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behaviour Disorder, dyskinesias, impulse control disorder, higher daily levodopa equivalent dose, increased motor severity, as well as catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor, amantadine use and various NMS, were all statistically associated with depression (p<0.05). Whereas, chronic pain, decreased physical activity, constipation and upper gastrointestinal dysfunction were associated with an increased risk for developing depression and increased depression severity.
Conclusion: Our findings provide novel insight into the prevalence of depression in PD, potential contributory factors and future treatment strategies.
This abstract is partially reproduced from a planned presentation at the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists, Annual Society Meeting, Melbourne, Australia, 19th-22nd May 2020
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
M. Lubomski, R. Davis, C. Sue. Depression in Parkinson’s Disease: perspectives from an Australian cohort [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2020; 35 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/depression-in-parkinsons-disease-perspectives-from-an-australian-cohort/. Accessed October 1, 2026.« Back to MDS Virtual Congress 2020
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/depression-in-parkinsons-disease-perspectives-from-an-australian-cohort/