Guest: Matthew A. Menza, MD

Host: Larry Kaskel, MD


Could tricyclic antidepressants be more effective at treating depression in patients with Parkinson's disease? They have been used since the 1950s for treatment of depression, but in recent years, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have become the predominant form of therapy. New research is suggesting that SSRIs may not be the best antidepressant option for our patients with Parkinson's. The lead author of this research, Dr. Matthew Menza, professor of psychiatry and neurology, and interim chair of psychiatry at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, speaks with host Dr. Larry Kaskel about the potential implications of his study on how we care for our Parkinson's patients who are also suffering from depression. Dr. Menza also explores a few other relevant issues: the reticence, among many of those with Parkinson's, to speak with their physician about depression, and the concurrent reluctance, among many in the medical community, to recognize and treat their patients' vulnerability to depression.