Depression May Be a Warning Sign of Parkinson’s Disease, Conclude Scientists from a European Survey. The survey found that over 80% of Parkinson’s patients regularly experience depression.
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| Depression May Be a Warning Sign of Parkinson’s Disease (Image: anxiety-depression) |
In a survey of over 500 Parkinson’s patients with mild to moderate stages in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, researchers found that 40% of patients rarely or never discussed their depression with their doctors.
Researchers also discovered that nearly all patients often or sometimes exhibited symptoms of depression. However, 49% reported that these symptoms were very difficult to recognize.
Patients indicated that depression was one of the most common signs when they encountered motor issues. Meanwhile, two-thirds of the surveyed doctors stated they considered other symptoms to be more important than depression.
Experts on Parkinson’s disease emphasized that symptoms of depression are just as significant as motor issues for patients suffering from this condition.
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the nervous system. Approximately 10,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year, with 1 in 20 affected being under the age of 40. The most common symptoms of this disease include tremors in the hands and feet.
