Screening and Treating Depression in Parkinson's disease PatientsParkinson’s is an illness increasingly affecting the elderly population. This condition impairs a person’s motor skills but another impairment that a lot of us oversee is the depression that accompanies it. There are several symptoms of this illness one of the early symptoms of Parkinson’s is depression. Studies show that around 60% of the patients end up with severe symptoms of depression. Depression in Parkinson’s disease can make matters worse for the person and also reduces the effectiveness of the treatment for Parkinson’s. Screening Since PD depression symptoms are very similar to that of clinical depression, its diagnosis is not simple. And due to this overlap, depression in PD goes unrecognized most of the time. Some people with Parkinson’s disease will exhibit major depression while some will only have signs of minor depression. Another reason why a PD depression goes undiagnosed is because the patients are not able to express themselves due to weakening of facial muscles. A primary care physician or a psychologist usually does the diagnosis. The doctor will ask the patient a few questions related to their illness including the symptoms, behaviors, mood changes and other unusual experiences. Usually a PD patient will not be able to predict the changes in their mood whereas their caregiver or family will be able to notice the changes. Some of common symptoms seen in PD depression are as follows –
Treatment for Depression in Parkinson’s Anti-depressants - Doctors usually prescribe anti-depressants for this state and it does work well. But the right mix of medications needs to be recommended by your doctor since each drug works differently for each individual. Some anti-depressants may interfere with the PD drugs; therefore a detailed discussion with the doctor is required to find the most suitable one. Counseling – An expert psychological counseling focused on cognitive behavioral therapy can do wonders to improve depression. This particular therapy helps the patient to change the thinking pattern which in turn eases the symptoms of depression like anxiety. Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) – This therapy is very effective for patients experiencing major depression and where other forms of treatment are not working. There is nothing to be worried about since this therapy is not as terrible or frightening as it is usually portrayed in the movies. It is very safe and has also shown to enhance motor symptoms. But it does have few disadvantages such as – the person will be under general anesthesia and the duration being very long for the treatment. Exercise – Mild exercises such as gardening, walks or yoga will help improve the state of mind since physical activities release happy hormones which will ease out the depression. Holistic Treatment Methods for Depression
|