Telephone-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression in Parkinson disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• Telehealth

Background:

• Depression is a common non-motor symptom in Parkinson disease (PD).
• Access to in-person cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a significant barrier for patients with PD.
• Telephone-based CBT offers a potential solution to improve care accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of telephone-based CBT for treating depression in Parkinson disease (dPD).
• To evaluate the effectiveness of telephone-delivered CBT on depression symptoms and related outcomes in PD patients.

Main Methods:

• An uncontrolled pilot trial involving 21 individuals with dPD was conducted.
• Participants received 10 weeks of telephone-delivered CBT, adapted for remote delivery.
• The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was used as the primary outcome measure, with assessments at multiple time points.

Main Results:

• A high completion rate of 95% (20 out of 21 participants) was achieved.
• Significant improvements were observed in depression, anxiety, negative thinking, and coping skills.
• A mean reduction of 7.91 points on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was recorded from baseline to week 10 (P < .001).

Conclusions:

• Telephone-based CBT appears to be a feasible and beneficial intervention for dPD.
• This remote approach shows promise for managing depression in Parkinson disease.
• Further investigation in randomized-controlled trials is warranted to confirm these findings.