[Stitcher]

Pramipexole shows promise for treating depression in patients with Parkinson's disease

May 9, 2010
http://www.physorg.com/news192613573.html

Pramipexole [Mirapex,] a dopamine agonist, improves depressive symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and has the potential to become an important antidepressant treatment for these patients. The Article published Online First, and in the June issue of the Lancet Neurology, is the first trial to show the direct benefits of a dopamine agonist on depression in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Depression is common in patients with PD, with about 35% of patients experiencing depressive symptoms. Yet few trials have been done to evaluate antidepressant treatments in PD. Depression in PD might be related to dysfunction in dopaminergic pathways. Previous studies have shown that dopamine agonists such as pramipexole, which counteract the decline in the production of dopamine in the brain, are effective at reducing major depression in patients without PD, and might have the potential to improve depressive symptoms in PD patients.