Depressive symptoms and axial motor disorders in individuals with Parkinson's disease: a cross-sectional study

Depression is an important nonmotor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) and has been associated with the motor symptoms in these individuals.

To determine whether there are relationships between depressive symptoms and abnormalities in axial postural alignment and axial motor deficits, especially postural instability, and trunk rigidity in PD.

In this cross-sectional study, 65 individuals were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) for the analysis of depressive symptoms and underwent a postural assessment of head, trunk, and hip sagittal alignment through computerized photogrammetry. The MDS-UPDRS was used to assess clinical aspects of PD, the Trunk Mobility Scale was used to assess axial rigidity, and the MiniBESTest to assess balance. To determine the relationship between depressive symptoms and postural alignment, multiple linear regression analysis was performed.

The participants with depressive symptoms had more severe motor deficits as well as greater trunk rigidity and worse postural instability (p < 0.05). When the postural angles were compared between men and women using Student's t-test, it was found that men had greater flexion angles of the head (p = 0.003) and trunk (p = 0.017). Using multiple linear regression analysis corrected for the age and sex of the participants, we verified that the anterior trunk inclination was significantly larger in the PD population with depressive symptoms (R²= 0.453, β = 0.116, and p = 0.045).

PD individuals with depressive symptoms have more severe flexed trunk posture, mainly in older men. Additionally, more severe depressive symptoms are associated with worsening postural instability, trunk rigidity and motor deficits in this population.