Parkinson’s Psychosis: Signs and Treatment

 It is said that misfortunes never come alone. In our line of work, this usually refers to the fact that patients with chronic illnesses suffer a range of symptoms that severely affect their minds and bodies.

An instance of this is Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis.

Parkinson’s Disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative conditions in the world. It primarily damages the dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra.

Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis is a non-motor symptom that causes patients to suffer extreme confusion, hallucinations, and/or delusions. Studies show that between 20 to 40 percent of patients report experiencing Psychosis.

The medical team at the center for the best Parkinson’s Disease treatment in Bangalore is highly trained in recognizing the symptoms of Parkinson’ Psychosis and administering the required treatment.

Types and Symptoms

Psychosis can be a scary word that people may shy away from. But what does it really mean?

In patients, Psychosis is likely to occur in the later stages, but even younger and newly diagnosed patients can experience it. Parkinson’s Psychosis can manifest in hallucinations, illusions, or delusions.

Hallucinations refer to seeing, hearing, or feeling something that is not there. They are tricks that the mind plays by involving the body’s senses and can be either positive or negative. Hallucinations occur when a person is awake and may happen at any time.

The types and examples of hallucinations are:

●       Visual: the most common type of hallucinations are visual. They can include seeing animals or people, such as a deceased pet or loved one, near them

●       Auditory: auditory hallucinations are less common than visual. During these, patients report hearing sounds or voices that are not real

●       Olfactory, Tactile, or Gustatory: these types of hallucinations are rarely seen. They make patients believe that they are smelling or tasting something abnormal that has no source, or feeling something imaginary like bugs crawling on their skin

Illusions are a sensory misperception during which people misinterpret real things in the environment. For instance, garden ornaments may look like people.

Delusions are illogical, irrational, dysfunctional thoughts. Although they are not based in reality, they are very real to the person experiencing them and may pose a safety risk to the patient as well as caregivers.

Delusions affect about eight percent of people with Parkinson’s Disease. They usually start as generalized confusion which can develop into clear ideas.

Patients can experience one or more types of delusions, which include:

●        Jealousy

●        Belief: a loved one is being unfaithful/disloyal

●        Behavior: paranoia, agitation, suspiciousness, aggression

●        Persecutory

●        Belief: being attacked, harassed, cheated, or conspired against

●        Behavior: paranoia, suspiciousness, agitation, aggression, defiance, and social withdrawal

●        Somatic

●        Belief: their body is behaving in an abnormal manner

●        Behavior: anxiety, agitation, reports of abnormal or unusual symptoms, extreme concern regarding symptoms, frequent visits with the clinician

What Are the Causes?

The three main contributors to Parkinson’s Psychosis are:

Medications: patients with Parkinson’s Disease take several medications that increase dopamine levels in the brain. This improves motor control but can bring about Psychosis.

Dementia: patients with Parkinson’s are more likely to suffer from Psychosis if they also have dementia. This causes a build-up of protein deposits (Lewy bodies) in areas of the brain that control behavior, cognition, and movement.

Delirium: this is a short-term, reversible condition brought about by infections, injuries, alcohol, recreational/ prescription drugs, electrolyte imbalance, and so on. This manifests in unusual behavior and occasional hallucinations.

How Can It Be Treated?

Treating Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis is a multi-step process that begins with talking to your health care team. They will follow a series of steps to figure out how best to address your symptoms.

Step 1: Initially, a clinical evaluation of symptoms considering prior history, disease stage, and available support systems is done. This will help determine if the patient needs immediate treatment or just monitoring.

Step 2: Treatment, when needed, generally begins with adjustment of medications and referral to counseling. The doctor may reduce or eliminate medications to lower dopamine levels.

Step 3: If further intervention is needed, the doctor may initiate anti-psychotic therapy. This involved the use of drugs to re-balance the chemical levels in the brain and reduce episodes of hallucinations, illusions, and delusions.

Outlook for Patients

Although Parkinson’s Disease cannot be cured, conditions such as Psychosis can be treated effectively. The best Parkinson’s Disease treatment in Bangalore endeavors to achieve the desired results in the minimum possible time. Patients are provided with a holistic treatment approach which includes:

●        Prophylactic options such as Stem Cell Therapy and specific medications

●        A customized Regenerative Rehabilitation Program which comprises regular physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy

It is important to remember that patients suffering from Psychosis are fully capable of living independent, fulfilling lives. They only require reassurance and support from medical professionals, family, and friends.