After the death of American actor Robin Williams and the revelations about his depression and his beginning of Parkinson diseasea study published in the scientific journal Neurology establishes a link between these two pathologies. Depression is a more common ailment than you might think in patients who suffer from this degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system. However, this mental disorder would be insufficiently taken into account and therefore rarely treated.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine followed 423 patients who were recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Their mental health was observed for two years. At the end of the experiment, 14% of sick patients were recognized as depressed compared to 6.6% in healthy volunteers. During these two years, an increase in the frequency and severity of the depressive state was observed in the “Parkinson group”, unlike the control group. At the start of the study, 16% of patients were taking antidepressants. A rate that rose to 25% two years later. However, 65-72% of Parkinson’s patients diagnosed with depression have received no treatment.
Unknown causes
It is not known if depression is a sign of Parkinson’s or if this mental disorder is a side effect of treatment for the disease. But for the authors of the study, it is clear that depression is not recognized enough in patients. They recommend that patients who are worried about experiencing certain characteristic symptoms (negative thinking, intellectual slowdown, exhaustion, devaluation, etc.) of depression speak about it without delay to their healthcare professional.
