ABSTRACT
Background: To determine the frequency of depressive symptoms in patients of Parkinson's disease [PD]
Material and Methods: It was an observational study conducted in out-door and in-door departments of the Neurology ward, King Edward Medical University/Mayo Hospital, Lahore from April 2003 to November 2003. 100 patients of Parkinson's disease [diagnosed by consultant neurologists] were registered and after fulfilling all the inclusion and exclusion criteria, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] was applied to see the depressive symptoms in patients of PD
Results: Out of 100 patients, 81 [81%] patients were depressed. All the patients with bradykinesia were depressed. Only 07 depressed patients were taking antidepressants
Conclusion: Depression can be viewed as a common clinical feature of PD and goes unrecognized in majority of the patients of PD. Depression and PD are not coexisting diseases but probably biochemical identical diseases. Bradykinesia can be a strong predictor for depression in patients of PD. Majority of PD patients with depression were not being treated for depression