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Do serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants worsen Parkinson's disease? A retrospective case series
Author(s) -
Richard Irene Hegeman,
Maughn Angeline,
Kurlan Roger
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/1531-8257(199901)14:1<155::aid-mds1026>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - neurology , medicine , gerontology , family medicine , psychiatry
There have been concerns that when used to treat depression in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) might worsen parkinsonian motor function. Several cases have been reported of SSRI-induced worsening of parkinsonism 1,2 and of SSRI-induced extrapyramidal symptoms in non-parkinsonian patients. 3 Forty-three percent of 49 PD specialists who we surveyed were concerned that SSRIs might worsen motor function, and 37% had observed at least one case in which they thought this had occurred. 4 Proposed mechanisms for SSRI-related extrapyramidal side effects have included serotonergic inhibition of nigrostriatal dopamine release 2,3 and direct effects on sigma 2 receptors. 5 The mechanisms remain unclear, however, as does the relative frequency with which this phenomenon occurs. To better assess the frequency and character of SSRI-induced worsening of parkinsonian motor function, we performed a detailed chart review of our PD clinic patients.