Paula and I just heard a Dr. Irene Richard speak at the Fox Rountable meeting in Cleveland. She is doing extensive studies on PD and its relationship to depression. (See the last Fox Research publication she is interviewed about "attitude" in Parkinson's). I am thinking now about people I know who committed suicide who had EARLY stage Parkinson's - one sacrifice is one too many in my opinion. Biochemical causes (an imbalance of neurotransmitters such as serotonin is known to affect the processing of thoughts and emotions).


Paula - if you can't move - you DO get depressed - but now they think depression PRECEDES Parkinson's. May sound strange, but I would rather not move than have the depression. Can you think of people who made a positive out of their handicaps? (Helen Keller - Christopher Reev, etc). Read this recent story: http://mentalhopenews.blogspot.com/2...ttered-by.html

Our minds are not separate entities from our bodies - we have to study and treat the whole body to eradicate or check this illness. The mind is powerful - VERY powerful. When my depression is in check, my attitude improves along with my movement. I am convinced that mental associated illnesses with PD may be part of the cause or at least a strong indicator of the degree of severity of the disease.

Boann - you have to check with Psychological and Psychiatric databases to find the body of research on depression and cognitive difficulty, insomnia, psychosis, anxiety, etc. All of these non-motor symptoms are not medication side effects.

Here are some areas being studied that links PD and depression:
* Identify structure and function of cortical areas, subcortical structures, and tracts implicated in the etiology of mental disorders.
* Identify neurotransmitters associated with mental disorders, pathways of synthesis and degradation, associations with brain structures and tracts, and roles of neurotransmitters in mental disease.
* Understand components of individual CNS neurons, including cell membranes, cellular content, the action potential and mechanisms of electrical and chemical cellular transmission.
* Understand major cell receptor types, composition, and function.

I believe the reason we can't find info readily on PD and depression is because they usually clump behavioral studies and have a title like, "Depression and neurological illnesses." Check out some specifics like neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, neuroendricinology, etc. Add to that synthesis, biosynthesis, degradation of all the chemicals involved in "movement disorders" (acetyline, dopamine, seritonin, norepinephrine, and so forth.

** Somebody needs to do a meta analysis of the body of literature and put "Parkinson's" in the title!**

maybe they have???? I have this theory that is genetic studies, or ways to measure chemical deficiencies BEFORE an illness were to occur, gene therapy to alter its course or even proper psychological/psychiatric intervention may be preventative measures. That's not a bizarre theory. When I have time I'll look up some of this stuff - maybe somebody out there wants to help out.

Peg