Psychiatric and Cognitive Manifestations of Parkinson's Disease
Psychiatric and Cognitive Manifestations of Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is often thought of as affecting movement only. In fact, most
 patients also experience psychiatric and cognitive symptoms, sometimes from the disease
 itself, and sometimes as a side-effect of PD medications. The goals of this study are to
 evaluate the causes, effects, and clinical correlates of psychiatric and cognitive symptoms
 in PD.
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is defined by the presence of motor symptoms, but in recent years
 there has been increasing recognition of non-motor manifestations, including anxiety,
 depression, and cognitive symptoms. In addition, PD medications have been shown to cause
 impulse control disorders, cognitive changes, and non-motor withdrawal symptoms (dopamine
 agonist withdrawal syndrome) when they are discontinued. The goals of this study are to test
 the hypothesis that the presence of psychiatric and cognitive symptoms are associated with
 greater self-perceived disability (out of proportion to objective deficits), increased
 utilization of healthcare resources, and decreased quality of life. In addition, we will
 examine the clinical correlates of these psychiatric symptoms. To test these hypotheses, we
 will screen PD patients for anxiety, depression, impulse control disorders, and dopamine
 agonist withdrawal syndrome, and compare cases and controls with regard to demographic
 characteristics, motor features of PD, disability, healthcare utilization, and quality of
 life.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's Disease (or healthy control subject)

 -  Age >=21 and <=99

 -  Capacity to provide informed consent

 -  Ability to complete the questionnaires

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Clinical diagnosis of dementia

 -  Terminal illness (life expectancy < 12 months)

 -  Presence of a neurodegenerative disorder other than Parkinson's Disease