The under-recognition of depression in Parkinson's disease

Irene Hegeman Richard, Roger Kurlan

Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA

Abstract: Depression is common in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and has been identified as the main factor negatively impacting quality of life. It has been reported that depression in PD is under-recognized and under-treated. We report on 90 patients with PD who completed the Geriatric Depression Rating Scale (GDS). Thirteen subjects (14%) scored above 15, the proposed cut-off for diagnosing depression in this illness. Detailed medical record review for these subjects revealed that depression was recognized and treated in only about one-half of the cases. Comparison of mean subscale scores between subjects scoring above and below the cut-off for diagnosis of depression revealed that each of 6 proposed subscales effectively distinguished the two groups. Review of individual items demonstrated that many of the subjects endorsed low energy, regardless of whether they were depressed. This study supports the notion that efforts should be made to educate patients, caregivers and physicians about identifying depression in PD. The routine use of a depression rating scale may facilitate the recognition of depression in this illness.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, depression, rating scales, diagnosis