Wie beurteilen ärzte die häufigkeit demenzieller, depressiver und psychotischer symptome bei patienten mit der Parkinson-krankheit? Eine befragung von 500 fachärzten im ambulanten versorgungssektor Deutschlands

Neuropsychiatric disorders such as dementia, depression or psychosis are frequent complications of Parkinson's disease. Age, gender and stage-related prevalences, however, are unclear and understudied. Main goal of the GEPAD study is to provide reliable prevalence estimates of concomitant neuropsychiatric disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease. As part of a pilot study for GEPAD, N= 517 participating neurologists were asked to rate a total of 1326 PD patients for presence and absence of neuropsychiatric symptoms and syndromes. Dementia was rated in 40.4% of all PD patients, depression and psychosis in 37.2% and 20.4%, respectively. Gender differences were only found for depression. Frequencies of dementia and psychotic symptoms increased by age. Findings from this pilot study - based on symptom ratings by treating physicians only - suggest that nearly two-thirds of Parkinson's disease patients additionally suffer from partly complex patterns of neuropsychiatric symptoms that increase by age and illness progression.