Depression links with the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

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Background: The non-motor symptoms (NMS) of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their potential role in early diagnosis are recent debates. Herein, we aimed to investigate the association between depression and non-motor symptoms of PD including sleep disorders, hyposexuality, hyposmia, constipation, and orthostatic hypotension. Methods: : After obtaining written informed consent, the diagnosis was confirmed using the criteria developed by the United Kingdom PD Society Brain Bank for the clinical diagnosis of PD. The stage and the severity of the disease were determined using the UPDRS and Hoehn & Yahr criteria. Demographics as well as the family history, habitual history, and past medical history data were obtained. Depression was determined through a psychiatric consultation based on DSMV criteria and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality (PSQ), and Epworth and REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Sleep Questionnaire (RBDSQ) was applied to investigate daytime sleepiness and REM sleep disorders, respectively. Cognitive disorders were also investigated using Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). Results: : 93 patients were enrolled. The BDI score was significantly correlated with hyposexuality, MoCA scores, and PSQ scores. Depression was significantly more severe in those with hyposexuality (p-value = 0.018). After adjustments, a significant association existed between the BDI score and the MoCA score and hyposexuality. Conclusions: : Besides the known correlations of depression with cognitive decline in PD, depression is also significantly associated with hyposexuality in these patients. The etiological underpinnings of these associations are to be explored in the future.

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