#28 Introduction to focus on Parkinson's Disease Psychosis

04/29/22 • 15 min

In this episode, I introduce the topic of psychosis as it relates to Parkinson's disease. I review some of the important information about the different forms of psychosis including illusions, hallucinations, and delusional thoughts. This episode will set the stage for the upcoming month of episodes diving deep into this topic. We will discuss the biology of psychosis, the various causes of this problem in PD, and the available treatments. Our discussion on treatments will include both pharmacological therapy as well as non-pharmacological therapy.
The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information.

Previous Episode

#27 Caring for a Loved One with Cognitive Impairment and Psychosis of Parkinson's disease (Interview with Caregiver Sharon)

One of the greatest challenges for a caregiver of a loved one with Parkinson's disease is managing episodes of psychosis.
On today's episode, I interview a caregiver named Sharon. Sharon is a caregiver for her husband with a 14 year history of PD. In the recent years, he has experienced a decline in cognitive function as well as episodes of psychosis that included visual and tactile hallucinations as well as delusional thoughts. Sharon shares some of these experiences with us and explains how she handled the episodes. She offers great advice for all caregivers not only witnessing psychotic episodes but also cognitive decline.
The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information.

Next Episode

#29 Diagnosis and Treatment of Psychosis of Parkinson's disease: What a caregiver needs to know!

On this episode, I discuss what a caregiver needs to know when confronted with psychosis exhibited by their loved one. It is important for caregivers to understand some of the common and reversible causes of psychosis related to Parkinson's disease. The psychosis may manifest as visual, auditory, or tactile hallucinations. In some cases, delusional thoughts and paranoia may be present during the psychotic episode.
When a loved one experiences psychosis, you must know what kind of medical attention your loved one will require and be armed with the knowledge of treatment options. I discuss numerous medication options to treat psychosis. You must be aware of potential side effects as well as the black box warning on these medications. Finally, I discuss some of the treatments in the research pipeline and how to find out more information about these medications in clinical trials.
The Parkinson's Disease Caring podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information.