Exploring Nonmotor Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Parkinson Disease in a Comprehensive Care Setting

Parkinson disease (PD) is a debilitating neurological condition that includes both motor symptoms and nonmotor symptoms (NMS). Psychiatric complaints comprise NMS and are collectively referred to as neuropsychiatric manifestations. Common findings include atypical depressive symptoms, anxiety, psychosis, impulse control disorder, deterioration of cognition, and sleep disturbances. Quality of life (QoL) of patients suffering from NMS is greatly impacted and many times can be more debilitating than motor symptoms of PD. We expand on knowledge gained from treatment models within a comprehensive care model that incorporates multidisciplinary specialists working alongside psychiatrists to treat PD. Insight into background, clinical presentations, and treatment options for patients suffering from neuropsychiatric manifestations of PD are discussed. Identifying symptoms early can help improve QoL, provide early symptom relief, and can assist tailoring treatment plans that limit neuropsychiatric manifestations.

Pharmacologic treatment of anxiety disorders in Parkinson disease

OBJECTIVE

Neither best practices nor an evidence base for the pharmacologic treatment of anxiety in Parkinson disease (PD) has been established. This study investigated pharmacologic treatment of anxiety disorders in idiopathic PD and the associated clinical features.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

Three community-based movement disorder neurology practices.

PARTICIPANTS

250 subjects with PD.

MEASUREMENTS

Anxiety disorder diagnoses were established by consensus using a panel of six psychiatrists with expertise in geriatric psychiatry and movement disorders. Current medications were provided by the treating neurologists at the time of interview.

RESULTS

Among subjects with anxiety disorders only, 53% were untreated with medications. When anxious subjects with comorbid depressive disorders were included, 70.8% were on medications effective for treatment of anxiety. Subjects with anxiety and comorbid depressive disorders were more likely to be treated for their psychiatric disturbances than subjects with anxiety disorders alone (odds ratio: 8.33), as were subjects with comorbid motor fluctuations (odds ratio: 3.65). There were no differences in the types of anti-anxiety medications used in regard to the presence of depression or motor fluctuations.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that over half of nondepressed PD patients with clinically significant anxiety are untreated with medication. A better understanding of the role of clinical features associated with anxiety in PD, such as depression and motor fluctuations, may improve the recognition and treatment of anxiety disorders in this population.

Screening for DSM-IV-TR cognitive disorder NOS in Parkinson's disease using the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale

OBJECTIVE

This study explores the utility of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (MDRS) as a screening tool for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV-TR) diagnosis cognitive disorder not otherwise specified (NOS) in Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODS

A total of 125 individuals with PD were diagnosed using DSM-IV-TR criteria for cognitive disorder NOS and dementia. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) tested the discriminant validity of the MDRS, with the clinician's diagnosis serving as the gold standard.

RESULTS

The MDRS ROC curve to discriminate subjects with cognitive disorder NOS from non-demented subjects had an area under the curve of 0.59 (standard error = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.43-0.74).

CONCLUSIONS

The MDRS is not effective for identifying PD patients with cognitive disorder NOS without dementia.

A comparison of nine scales to detect depression in Parkinson disease: which scale to use?

OBJECTIVE

The Methods of Optimal Depression Detection in Parkinson's Disease (MOOD-PD) study compared the psychometric properties of 9 depression scales to provide guidance on scale selection in Parkinson disease (PD).

METHODS

Patients with PD (n = 229) from community-based neurology practices completed 6 self-report scales (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]-II, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Rating Scale-Revised [CESD-R], 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS-30], Inventory of Depressive Symptoms-Patient [IDS-SR], Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9], and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale [UPDRS]-Part I) and were administered 3 clinician-rated scales (17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D-17], Inventory of Depressive Symptoms-Clinician [IDS-C], and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS] and a psychiatric interview. DSM-IV-TR diagnoses were established by an expert panel blinded to the self-reported rating scale data. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to estimate the area under the curve (AUC) of each scale.

RESULTS

All scales performed better than chance (AUC 0.75-0.85). Sensitivity ranged from 0.66 to 0.85 and specificity ranged from 0.60 to 0.88. The UPDRS Depression item had a smaller AUC than the BDI-II, HAM-D-17, IDS-C, and MADRS. The CESD-R also had a smaller AUC than the MADRS. The remaining AUCs were statistically similar.

CONCLUSIONS

The GDS-30 may be the most efficient depression screening scale to use in PD because of its brevity, favorable psychometric properties, and lack of copyright protection. However, all scales studied, except for the UPDRS Depression, are valid screening tools when PD-specific cutoff scores are used.

Prevalence of psychotic symptoms in a community-based Parkinson disease sample

OBJECTIVES

: To determine the prevalence of psychotic phenomena, including minor symptoms, in a Parkinson disease (PD) sample and compare the clinical correlates associated with the various psychotic phenomena. To evaluate the extent to which cases met National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS)/National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-proposed criteria for PD-associated psychosis.

METHODS

: A total of 250 patients with idiopathic PD and Mini Mental State Exam scores greater than 23 from three community-based movement disorder clinics underwent comprehensive research diagnostic evaluations by a geriatric psychiatrist as part of a study on mood disorders in PD. Psychotic symptoms were categorized using a checklist, which included a breakdown of hallucinations, delusions, and minor symptoms. Clinical characteristics of groups with minor and other psychotic symptoms were compared. The NINDS/NIMH criteria for PD-psychosis were retrospectively applied.

RESULTS

: Of the total sample, 26% of patients were found to have any current psychotic symptoms, with 47.7% of those having isolated minor symptoms, and 52.3% having hallucinations and/or delusions. Compared to those with no current psychiatric symptoms, minor symptoms were associated with more depressive symptoms and worse quality of life, and 90.8% of those with psychotic symptoms fulfilled the NINDS/NIMH proposed criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

: Psychotic symptoms are common in PD patients, with minor psychotic phenomena present in nearly half of affected patients in a community-based sample. Psychotic symptoms, including minor phenomena, were clinically significant. The NINDS/NIMH PD-psychosis criteria captured the clinical characteristics of psychosis as it relates to PD. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether minor psychotic symptoms represent a precursor to hallucinations and delusions, and to further validate diagnostic criteria.

Familial aggregation of panic disturbances in Parkinson's disease

Panic disorder has an elevated prevalence in Parkinson's disease (PD). To explore the basis for this co-occurrence, the familial aggregation of panic disorder was examined in patients with PD. Probands and relatives of patients with PD and panic disorder (PD-PANIC; N=20, N=115) and control probands with PD and no active psychiatric illness (PD-NA; N=17, N=108) were interviewed by phone, using a structured interview to determine panic status. Lifetime prevalence of panic and "panic-like" disorders was higher in PD-PANIC than in PD-NA relatives. Panic and "panic-like" disorders are familial disorders in PD.