Saturday, June 6, 2009

Depression may indicate early Parkinson's disease

Results of a new study provide more evidence that depressive symptoms are an early feature of Parkinson's disease, preceding the characteristic movement problems seen Parkinson's such as tremor and rigid muscles.

In the study, researchers found that starting antidepressant therapy was associated with a twofold increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease in the next 2 years.

Although several reports have shown a link between depressive symptoms and Parkinson's disease, it was unclear whether one caused the other or if both may arise from some common mechanism, Dr. A. Alonso and colleagues note in their report.

READ MORE @ REUTERS