Neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms that occur in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) include depression, anxiety, apathy, hallucinations, delusions, and behavioral disorders such as pathological gambling, hypersexuality, dopamine dysregulation syndrome, and punding. The risk factors consist of intrinsic, extrinsic, and inducing factors. Intrinsic factors include aging and PD pathology-related neurodegeneration of the central nervous system. Extrinsic factors include the drugs used to manage Parkinsonian symptoms and concomitant medical conditions. Inducing factors include complicated medical conditions such as fever and dehydration, and psychosocial stress such as that following the death of a spouse, moving homes, or hospitalization. Psychiatric symptoms may lower the quality of life of patients and their caregivers. Better management may be attained by understanding risks associated with the patient's background and dealing with them appropriately.