Depression May Be Early Sign of Parkinson's Disease

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However, primary care physicians and psychiatrists, who may not be aware of the link, "need to pay more attention to this issue," Pahwa said. At-risk individuals who suddenly develop depressive symptoms could in fact be showing the first signs of Parkinson's.

Neurologists could also benefit from these findings, Pahwa added.

"For us, the biggest issue is that we need to pay more attention to depression in Parkinson's disease," Pahwa said. Too often, physicians may view depression as a natural psychological reaction to a Parkinson's diagnosis. However, that may not sometimes be the case, "and we need to treat it more aggressively," he said.

According to Pahwa, Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Though most commonly associated with motor deficits such as tremors and stiffness, there also are non-motor features, including urinary problems, constipation, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and dementia. There is no laboratory test for Parkinson's, so it must be diagnosed clinically. Nor is there yet any cure for this degenerative disease.

According to the National Parkinson Foundation, 1.5 million Americans currently have the illness, which strikes men and women in roughly equal numbers, usually after the age of 65.

Dr. Giselle Petzinger, a movement disorder specialist at the University of Southern California, said this study is the first to "really suggest" that non-motor features could be early indicators of Parkinson's disease.

"This is pretty convincing data," she said. "Mood probably could be an early manifestation. That's never been shown before."

Petzinger said such early symptoms could enable eventual earlier -- and thus, more effective -- use of neuroprotective medicines, though she noted that no such drug currently exists.

"You want to catch them before they develop motor symptoms," Petzinger said. "That might be a point of no return. Early recognition, that's when you want to capture people."

More information

For more information on Parkinson's disease, visit the National Parkinson Foundation.