Expert Briefing: Mental Health and PD

Parkinson's disease (PD) is complicated by a number of comorbid psychiatric symptoms that often overlap with the motor and other physical aspects of PD or may be caused by PD medications used to treat motor symptoms (e.g., impulse control disorders and dopamine agonists). In this webinar, Dr. Marsh will focus on the overlap of motor, cognitive, and psychiatric aspects of PD. Additionally, she will describe the features of comorbid psychiatric disturbances, including depression, anxiety and psychosis along with general approaches to treatment.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this webinar, the participants will:

Understand the relationships between motor, cognitive and psychiatric dysfunction in PD over the course of the disease.
Understand the common psychiatric diagnoses seen in patients with PD.
Be familiar with appropriate treatments for neuropsychiatric disturbances in PD.

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Presenter

Laura Marsh, MD
Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine
Director, Mental Health Care Line
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

A geriatric neuropsychiatrist, Dr. Marsh's clinical and research expertise focuses on the recognition and treatment of psychiatric disturbances in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Since 2009, she has been the Executive Director of the Mental Health Service at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Previously, she was director and principal investigator of the Clinical Research Program of the NIH-funded Morris K. Udall Parkinson’s Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

In addition to her efforts to improve psychiatric treatments for individuals with Parkinson's disease, a focus of her administrative role is to facilitate the general integration of psychiatric and mental health care into medical care and to promote positive attitudes and beliefs about mental health care and psychiatric illnesses. Dr. Marsh also serves on the scientific or clinical advisory boards or steering committee for the Houston Area Parkinson’s Society, the Houston/Harris County Coalition for the Homeless Continuum of Care, the American Parkinson’s Disease Association, and the National Parkinson Foundation. She is an active member of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry, the Parkinson’s Study Group, and the Movement Disorders Society and has published widely on psychiatric disorders in PD and related conditions, including as co-editor of the book, Psychiatric Issues in Parkinson’s Disease: A Practical Guide.

Presenter

About Laura Marsh, MD