Posted by Iansf on June 30, 2006, at 16:59:37
In reply to AD's and Future Use of Antiparkinson Drugs, posted by djmmm on June 30, 2006, at 6:54:27
There's another way to look at this - that Parkinsonism and mood disorders may be expressions of similar biochemical imbalances. After all, Parkinsons drugs are already used to augment antidepressants. Prior to Emsam, the primary use of selegiline was treatment of Parkinsons! What the studies may be reflecting is not causation of Parkinsons by antipressants but expression of Parkinsons by people with depression.
> from Medscape:
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> Antidepressant and Lithium Therapy Linked to Future Use of Antiparkinson Drugs
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> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jun 16 - Treatment with antidepressants and lithium is associated with an increased risk of later treatment with antiparkinson drugs, according to findings from a Danish study.
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> The findings suggest that "patients with anxiety or affective disorders are at increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease," Dr. M. Brandt-Christensen, from the University of Copenhagen, and colleagues note.
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> The study, reported in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry for June, involved an analysis of prescription data for nearly 1.3 million people logged in a Danish national registry between 1995 and 1999.
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> Treatment with an antidepressant raised the risk of later treatment with an antiparkinson medication by 2.27- and 1.50-fold in men and women, respectively. The corresponding rate ratios with lithium were 2.22 and 1.64.
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> The new findings support other recent reports suggesting an association between affective/anxiety disorders and Parkinson's disease. It is possible that the treatments for these disorders, and not the disorders themselves, are what precipitate Parkinson's disease, the authors point out.
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> J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2006;77:781-783.
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poster:Iansf
thread:662854
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060623/msgs/662983.html