- Contents
- Introduction
- What is depression?
- Signs and Symptoms of Depression
- What is Parkinson's disease?
- How are depression and Parkinson's disease linked?
- How is depression treated in people who have Parkinson's disease?
- For More Information on Depression
- For More Information on Parkinson's Disease
- Citations
- Reprints
How are depression and Parkinson's disease linked?
For people with depression and Parkinson's disease, each illness can make symptoms of the other worse. For example, people with both illnesses tend to have more movement problems and greater levels of anxiety than those who have just depression or Parkinson's disease.2,3 Compared with people who are depressed but do not have Parkinson's, people who have both illnesses may have lower rates of sadness and guilt, but greater problems with concentration.3 One recent brain imaging study also suggests that people with Parkinson's disease may have an unusually high number of reuptake pumps for the brain chemical messenger serotonin.4 Serotonin helps regulate mood, but overactive pumps reduce serotonin levels, possibly leading to depressive symptoms in some people with Parkinson's disease.
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