Previous studies have suggested that dopamine agonists have an antidepressant effect in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. We examined whether fewer PD patients used antidepressant medication, when they were first treated with a dopamine agonist compared to other PD medications. PD patients diagnosed in Denmark were identified, and the diagnosis was confirmed by a review of the medical record. Antidepressant medication was assessed using the Danish National Prescription Registry. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to model the association between PD medications and time to antidepressant prescription. The type of PD medication first prescribed did not affect the subsequent use of antidepressants.
Keywords: Antidepressant medication; MAO-B inhibitors; Parkinson's disease; depression; dopamine agonists; levodopa.