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Hi janet: Somehow this doesn't surprise me, speaking as one who would be a basket case without her anti-depressant. Carole H. --- janet paterson <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Parkinson's disease and depression: > evidence for an alteration of the basal limbic > system > detected by transcranial sonography. > > OBJECTIVES: Depression is a frequent symptom in > Parkinson's disease. > > Compelling evidence suggests a role of the brainstem > in the control of mood and cognition. > > In patients with unipolar depression transcranial > sonography (TS) studies have shown structural > alteration of the mesencephalic brainstem raphe > which could suggest an involvement of the basal > limbic system in the pathogenesis of primary mood > disorders. > > The objective of the present study was to evaluate > whether a similar alteration could be found in > depressed patients with Parkinson's disease using > TS. > > METHODS: Thirty patients with Parkinson's disease > and 30 age and sex adjusted controls were examined > by TS. Raphe echogenicity was rated > semiquantitatively. > > The severity of motor symptoms and depression was > rated using standard research instruments. > > RESULTS: Raphe echogenicity was significantly > reduced in depressed patients with Parkinson's > disease compared with nondepressed patients with > Parkinson's disease and control subjects. > > Raphe echogenicity correlated negatively with degree > of motor impairment, and differences in raphe echo > between depressed and non-depressed patients with > Parkinson's disease were upheld when motor > impairment was controlled for. > > CONCLUSION: These preliminary findings suggest that, > as in unipolar depression, a morphological > alteration of the brainstem raphe might be involved > in the pathogenesis of depression in Parkinson's > disease. > > This raphe alteration may reflect involvement in the > basal limbic system in the pathogenesis of secondary > depression. > > This concept is in line with current knowledge on > the pathogenesis of both depression in Parkinson's > disease and primary depressive disorders. > > > J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1997 Nov;63(5):590-6 > Becker T, Becker G, Seufert J, Hofmann E, Lange KW, > Naumann M, > Lindner A, Reichmann H, Riederer P, Beckmann H, > Reiners K > Department of Psychiatry, University of Wurzburg, > Germany. > PMID: 9408098, UI: 98070036 > > <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/> > > janet paterson > 52 now / 41 dx / 37 onset > 613 256 8340 po box 171 almonte ontario canada K0A > 1A0 > a new voice: > <http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Village/6263/> > <[log in to unmask]> > ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com