Heightened sensitivity in people with Parkinson’s disease can evolve into one of the scarier and lesser-known non-motor symptoms of the neurological disease: psychosis.
Seeing things that aren’t there, believing their grandchild is an imposter, or suspecting their spouse is having an affair are all things that can happen to patients that they might shy away from sharing with their providers.
“It's common that these kinds of symptoms aren't picked up on right away by the family or clinician because there is a fear or stigma,” said Christina Vaughan, MD, an associate professor of neurology at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine. “People can be embarrassed or frightened. We're trying to normalize and address the problem and frame it in a less judgmental way.”
Psychosis – a collective term to include any or all of hallucinations, delusions and illusions – can arise from the disease itself and from the drugs used to treat it. It’s important that patients and families not be ashamed and that they speak up so they can get help, Vaughan said.
In the following Q&A, Vaughan explains the differences in types of psychosis in Parkinson’s disease, what patients and care teams should look out for, risk factors and options on management and treatment.