Prevalência de sintomas depressivos em pacientes com doença de Parkinson

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Although it is traditionally defined as a movement disorder, PD is also associated with a variety of non-motor symptoms (NMS) that affect virtually all patients. Depression is one of the most important NMS in PD and has a huge impact on the quality of life of patients and caregivers. The prevalence of depression in PD varies widely between studies, which justifies the importance of characterizing it in different population groups. The present study aimed to analyze the prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated factors in patients with PD treated at a neurology clinic specialized in the care of patients with PD in northern Minas Gerais. There was no sample size calculation, with the aim of evaluating all eligible patients between July 2023 and July 2024. The following assessment instruments were applied: a questionnaire to collect clinical and sociodemographic data, the motor part III of the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS). Bivariate analyses followed by multiple analyses by Poisson regression, with a robust estimator, were performed from a hierarchical model. A total of 82 patients aged between 34 and 87 years were evaluated and it was identified that 38 (46.3%) and 43 (52.4%) of the patients presented depressive symptoms according to the BDI and HDS, respectively. It was observed that being female, having low income, having high scores on the UPDRS scale and having already been diagnosed with depression before the diagnosis of PD were significantly associated with the presence of depressive symptoms through the BDI and the EDH. In addition, the time since diagnosis was also significantly associated with the presence of depressive symptoms through the EDH. A high proportion of patients with depressive symptoms was recorded according to both scales evaluated. The variables associated with depressive symptoms are consistent with the literature and highlight a profile of patients that should be more carefully evaluated by health professionals, considering that depression is recognized as a crucial factor in health-related quality of life and can impact the functional capacity, cognitive function and well-being of the patient and caregivers.