Patients with depression in the early stages of Parkinson's disease: A cross-sectional observational study

Abstract

Background. Depression is one of the most maladaptive manifestations of Parkinson's disease (PD). The relationship between depression and motor, cognitive, and other affective disorders in the early stages of PD remains debatable.
 Aim. To assess the frequency and severity of depression, to clarify the features of motor, affective disorders, and cognitive functions in patients with depression in the early stages of PD.
 Materials and methods. We observed 61 patients diagnosed with PD at stages III according to the HoehnYahr scale. The average age was 62.29.6 years, the average duration of PD was 2.51.6 years. Data were analyzed using the Unified PD Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Apathy Scale, the Spielberger Anxiety Inventory, the PD Cognitive Assessment Scale (SCOPA-COG), the digital character substitution test (the symbolsnumbers test), the Montreal the Cognitive Function Assessment Scale (MoCA), the number-to-letter combination test, the Stroop test.
 Results. Symptoms of depression were detected in 48 (79%) patients with PD; 20 (33%) patients had subdepression, 24 (39%) had moderate and severe depression, and 4 (7%) had severe depression. In patients at stage I PD according to HoehnYahr, the frequency of moderate depression was 28%, at stage II (moderate and severe) 45%, and severe 10%. Patients with depression were characterized by a greater severity of motor symptoms, disturbances in daily activities, anxiety, apathy, as well as a decrease in executive cognitive functions. An inverse correlation was noted between the duration of depressive symptoms and deterioration in performance on tests to assess attention and control cognitive functions.
 Conclusion. Depression is a characteristic feature of the early stages of PD. Its frequency and severity increase from stage I to stage II of PD. Depression can be considered as an indicator of a more severe course of the disease, the progression of impairments in controlling cognitive functions. The possibility of assessing the prognosis of the course of the disease additionally substantiates the need to diagnose depression in patients with PD in the early stages of the disease.