news items...
 

I wanted to share comments from our blog on two topics I know are of interest to folks here in NT.

PD and Depression: http://bit.ly/IhtWxh
Flavonoids: http://bit.ly/HDDgjh

Debi

depression and pd
 

Thanks for posting this Debi - it's so very important!

I have been outspoken about my own travails with depression (the only medication change recommended by my neuro yesterday was doubling the low dosage of antidepressant I've been taking - I'm looking forward to positive results - and I pay out of pocket for weekly talk therapy - it's that important - on my Social Security-only income).

Please take action if you think you are depressed - you can be helped to feel better! Acknowledging and dealing with depression is not a weakness - it keeps me going, and as happy as possible!

Here is what the two doctors interviewed in the blog said; I'm copying them here for emphasis:

"Dr. Richard: Unfortunately, many people are reluctant to admit that they are depressed since there can be a stigma attached to depression. Some people even view it as a sign of weakness and something that they can ‘get over.’ It is important to realize that depression is a part of the disease and isn’t something that one can ‘will away.’ I firmly believe that seeking out treatment is a sign of strength: People who acknowledge that they are suffering from depression and proactively look to do something about this should be commended. They will likely experience significant relief when their depression is treated.

Dr. Facheris: It’s important to seek out help to reverse the often vicious circle of depression. When you feel blue, you are less likely to go out, and this can be seriously detrimental to people with PD if it prevents them from staying socially connected or from exercising to help improve their motor symptoms.

If you are experiencing depression, speak openly about it with your neurologist. Depression can manifest itself in a variety of ways that may not always be obvious to you, such as loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, irritability, and/or anxiety. Caregivers are also good at helping to identify changes that might be taking place that you may not notice in yourself; if your spouse or other close connection mentions changes in your mood or personality, take it seriously. Depression can be deadly when it goes untreated."

Carey,

Have you been responsive or to or tried an SSRI? It has been life restorer for my anxiety. I think mood disorders may be a defining symptom of PD, and they know so little about it.

Not only that, but it turns out Serotonin works closely with Dopamine neurons and actually seem to attack alpha-synuclein aggregation in mid cycle of becoming toxic. I think this is pretty amazing, yet we here nothing about it.

It has also been established that depression is not from depletion of serotonin but rather an effect or result of impaired Tryptophan production. Mrs. D recommends taking Tryptophan supplement see halfway down the thread

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ight=serotonin
(the factoids above cited in the thread linked here)

I am glad to see they acknowledge that they see an SSRI may further muck things up for PD patients.

Laura

You cannot separate the two!
 

Ladies (and guys, too!)
I know the secret to finding a major improvement in quality of life for people with Parkinson's who have depression. You simply cannot separate the two when in a study. Doesn't it make sense?

Let's say that you are in a clinical trial for a new agonist with your hypothesis to meet endpoints defined by the infamous UPDRS as one measure, patient diaries, neurological testing, and other familiar quality of life measures. How you perform on the movement performance testing is directly proportionate to your mood, or how you are feeling about yourself. If a control group of those with depression were weighed against those who had no signs of a mood disorder, I would be willing to wager high stakes that those with depression would not perform as well as those without the mood involvement.

Since we all pretty much acknowledge that mood affects movement, then why the heck don't we design the trial as if we believe it? I have been voicing this thought for some time now. I am convinced that this is why many trials fail to meet their endpoints. This must be factored into the statistical equation. Likewise on any given day if you are having a stressful period, don't take any outcome measures on that day. Wait until your frame of mind improves. I guarantee it will make a major difference.

Comments/discussion?

Peggy

Paxil or Effexor to Azilect
 

Hi Debi,

Does this study include or exclude people who are taking Azilect (MAO-b) at the same time? Or there is still the drug contradiction between Paxil or Effexor to Azilect?

Thanks!