Coping With Depression in Parkinson's Disease
Condition: Parkinson's Disease; Depression
MeSH terms: Parkinson Disease; Depression; Depressive Disorder
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral treatment,
      that includes a caregiver-focused social support intervention, for depression in persons with
      Parkinson's disease.

      Individuals who are unable to travel to the study site, but are interested in participating
      and meet all other eligibility requirements, will be allowed to participate over the phone.
    

Detailed description: 
      Depression is the most common emotional problem found in persons with Parkinson's disease
      (PD). It causes immense personal suffering and is associated with increased disability and
      burden to caregivers. Despite the adverse consequences of depression in PD, there are
      virtually no studies to guide clinical treatment. Several studies are currently examining the
      effectiveness of antidepressant medication for depression in PD. However, there have been no
      studies to examine the effectiveness of non-medication approaches, such as
      cognitive-behavioral therapy, despite the success of these techniques in other populations.
      Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches people with PD to become more aware of their thoughts
      and feelings and to change thinking patterns and behaviors that may be related to symptoms of
      depression.

      The purpose of this study is to determine if cognitive-behavioral therapy--with a
      caregiver-focused social support intervention--is effective in treating depression in persons
      with PD. This study will enroll 80 people with PD and their caregivers. Forty participants
      with PD will be randomly chosen to receive the study treatment in addition to standard
      medical care. The other 40 will only receive standard medical care and will have the option
      to receive the study treatment after completing all study assessments (4 months after the
      initial evaluation).

      The study treatment will consist of 10 weekly individual cognitive-behavioral treatment
      sessions, lasting 1 hour each and modified to meet the unique needs of each individual with
      PD. Caregivers will attend 4 separate educational sessions-lasting 30 minutes each--designed
      to provide them with the tools needed to reinforce and supplement the material presented in
      the cognitive-behavioral sessions. Duration of the study for participants is 15 weeks.

      This is the first study to evaluate the impact of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for PD
      depression in a randomized controlled trial. Information gained from this study may be
      beneficial in treating depression in persons with PD.
    

Intervention name(s): cognitive-behavioral therapy
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The therapy will consist of 10 weekly individual cognitive-behavioral treatment sessions, lasting 1 hour each and modified to meet the unique needs of each individual with PD.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Parkinson's disease; PD; depression; cognitive-behavioral therapy; social support