Depression in Parkinson's disease

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Abstract
The authors assessed the prevalence of major depression (DSM-III-R) among Parkinson's disease patients and compared this rate with that of matched physically disabled subjects. The 30-item General Health Questionnaire and measures of physical disability were completed by all patients in Dunedin, New Zealand, identified as having Parkinson's disease. Patients scoring over 5 on the General Health Questionnaire were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R--Non-Patient Version. Each patient living in the community was matched for age, sex, and level of physical disability with a comparison subject who did not have a neurological condition. Of the 73 subjects with Parkinson's disease who agreed to participate and were judged not to be demented, 34.2% scored higher than 5 on the 30-item General Health Questionnaire, but only 2.7% met the criteria for major depression. No difference from the comparison group was found. The prevalence of major depression in patients with Parkinson's disease may be no greater than in age- and sex-matched physically disabled persons.