Depression and Parkinson's disease: a conceptual challenge
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Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Dynamic Digital Biomarkers of Motor and Cognitive Function in Parkinson's Disease
Published on: July 24, 2019
A F G Leentjens1, F R J Verhey1
11Department of Psychiatry, Maastricht University Hospital, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Aim:
To explore the relation between Parkinson's disease (PD) and depression from a conceptual point of view.
Methods:
Discussion of the relevant literature on the conceptual, phenomenological and therapeutical aspects of depression in Parkinson's disease.
Results:
Both semantic confusion and an erroneous belief in the mind-body distinction have contributed to some common misunderstandings of the nosology and etiology of depression in Parkinson's disease.
Conclusion:
The consequences of a different, integrated, neuropsychiatric approach for both diagnosis and treatment are discussed.
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