Janette Dawson - Experimental Neuropsychology Research Unit

Previous research has indicated that there is a high incidence of depression in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD), perhaps as high as 40%. This is significantly higher than that found in some other patient groups with similarly progressive, degenerative disorders, leading some researchers to propose that depression in PD may be related to the underlying neurodegenerative processes of the disease.

The aim of my project is to investigate cognitive difficulties in those with Parkinson's Disease and comorbid depression (PDD) in relation to attention, concentration, and working memory, in comparison to those with PD only and healthy control participants. Because previous research has found that emotional stimuli affect attention and working memory in those with Major Depression compared to non-depressed controls, another aspect of my project will be to explore the effect of emotional stimuli on these abilities in those with PDD. Correspondences of participants' performances in these experimental tasks with their parkinsonian and depressive symptoms will also be explored.