Selective 6-OHDA induced dopaminergic lesioning increases depressive behavior in rats

Depression is the most common psychiatric disturbance in Parkinson's disease (PD), affecting approximately 40–50% of PD-patients. The manifestations include apathy, psychomotor retardation, memory impairment, pessimism, irrationality, and suicidal ideation without suicidal behaviour. Depression has been strongly related to the patients' quality of life in Parkinson's disease. The symptoms of depression in Parkinson's disease vary slightly from the typical symptom profile of primary depression. So far, little is known about the pathophysiologic events leading to PD assosiated depression nor about the causative mo…