Suicidal ideation in early-onset Parkinson's disease

Objective Patients with early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD) often suffer from more frequent depression than those with late-onset Parkinson's disease (LOPD). However, the clinical characteristics of suicidal ideation (SI) in EOPD remains unknown. This study aimed to explore the prevalence, related factors, and predictive factors of SI in EOPD patients as well as comparison of the prevalence in LOPD patients. Methods We conducted a case-control, cross-sectional, and longitudinal study. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance the characteristics between EOPD (N = 577) and LOPD patients (N = 2973). The diagnosis of SI was based on the assessment of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). EOPD patients with a disease duration < 5 years (N = 96) were prospectively followed-up for exploring the predictors for the development of SI. Two forward binary logistic regression models were respectively used to explore the associated and predictive factors of SI. Results After PSM, EOPD patients showed significantly higher prevalence of SI than LOPD patients (22.0 vs. 13.3%, P < 0.001). Twenty EOPD patients (20.8%) developed SI and none of them reported suicidal behaviors after a median of 2.7 (IQR = 1.6-4.1) years. Depression, dyskinesia, non-smoking, lower education, and higher Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) score were independently associated with the presence of SI. Depression at baseline was the only independent risk factor for the future occurrence of SI. Conclusions Our study highlights the necessity to screen SI in patients with EOPD especially for those with depression.