DEPRESSION IN PARKINSONS-DISEASE - THE INFLUENCE OF MIANSERINA ON THELATERALITY OF PARKINSONIAN SYMPTOMS

Figures on the prevalence of depression in Parkinson's disease (PD), r ange between 12% and 90%, according to different authors. This great v ariability may be due to the diversity of criteria used to define this condition of the state of mind and/or the frequent appearance of seco ndary effects on the psyche, owing to the treatments applied. The obje ctives are first of all to determine whether the use of Mianserina as an anti-depressant, since it affects the degree of depression, might a lso affect the actual clinical symptoms of PD, and then to attempt to relate the predominance of the laterality of the symptomology to the i ntensity of the depressive disturbance. The results indicate that Mian serina has a positive effect on the symptoms of PD. Patients presentin g a predominantly left symptomology have significantly higher indices of depression than those presenting a predominantly right symptomology .