This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Mary Hart Bryan about Parkinson’s disease and mental health. Dr. Bryan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a geriatric psychiatrist at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Apathy, along with anxiety, depression, and cognitive changes can be common for individuals living with Parkinson's disease. Doctor Mary Hart Bryan is here to talk about mental and emotional health when living with Parkinson's. Doctor Bryan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and she's a geriatric psychiatrist at MUSC. Doctor Bryan, tell us more details about how Parkinson's may impact mental health and mood.
Dr. Bryan: Mental health problems like anxiety, depression, apathy, and cognitive changes are common in people with Parkinson's. We think that the brain mechanism that causes the motor symptoms of Parkinson's is also behind these mental health symptoms, and that's the loss of dopamine cells. And that also can cause dysregulation of norepinephrine and serotonin. So, it's really important to recognize when mental health symptoms are occurring, and talk to your doctor so that you can get treated, because if not, it has a negative impact on quality of life.
Conner: What are some of the concrete, real life ways to focus on or promote emotional well-being when someone is living with this condition?
Dr. Bryan: There are several things that people with Parkinson's can do on their own to improve mental health. And the first I'm going to mention is exercise. Numerous studies have shown that it's critical, and a medicine-like treatment for Parkinson's. It helps with motor symptoms and also depression and cognition. The second that is really important is diet and eating. A healthy anti-inflammatory diet, such as the Mediterranean diet or MIND diet, is associated with less depression and better non-motor symptoms as well. In Parkinson's, the third dimension is sleep. Sleep problems are really common in Parkinson's, and lack of sleep can lead to depression and cognitive slowing. So, focusing on sleep hygiene, which you can talk about with your doctor and setting the stage for a good night's sleep, is a great way to prioritize mental well-being. And the last is incorporating a mindfulness practice into your daily routine like meditation and yoga, which reduce anxiety and depression and improve cognitive function.
Conner: Tell us a bit more about exercise, specifically for people living with Parkinson's disease.
Dr. Bryan: High intensity aerobic exercise is recommended, but even better is to add in a little bit of variety like strength training, balance work and flexibility training. And also, there are a couple of exercise programs specifically for people with Parkinson's that are amazing. One is Rock Steady boxing, which can be found all across the state. And the other is a newer program that's currently at the MUSC Wellness Center, but hopefully will expand, called Pick It Up for Parkinson's. And it's an eight week course teaching people with Parkinson's how to play pickleball safely.
Conner: Tell us about the importance of having a solid support network, especially with regards to mental health and emotional health.
Dr. Bryan: Having a support network is hugely important. It's important for family members, loved ones, caregivers to encourage or even schedule routine social outings. Even lunch once a week with 1 or 2 friends is important. One great way to build your social network is to go to a group exercise class, or attend a Parkinson's support group.
Conner: Doctor Bryan, thanks for talking with us about Parkinson's disease.
Dr. Bryan: You're welcome.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
