Episode 156: Building Better Mood and Behavior Care for Parkinson Disease

Episode 156 of the NeurologyLive^® Mind Moments^® podcast is now live! Scroll down to listen or click here to subscribe on your favorite streaming service.

The Mind Moments podcast features exclusive interviews with leaders in the field discussing the latest research and disease management strategies across the breadth of neurology, including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, dementia, sleep disorders, and more.

In this episode, "Mood, Behavior, and Quality of Life in Parkinson Disease," Sneha Mantri, MD, MS, Chief Medical Officer at the Parkinson’s Foundation, discusses how mood and behavioral symptoms shape the lived experience of people with Parkinson disease across the disease course. Mantri, a practicing movement disorders specialist with extensive training and experience, explains why depression and anxiety often precede motor symptoms, how these issues evolve with cognitive change, and why they remain key drivers of quality of life. Mantri reviews commonly used screening tools – including the PHQ-2/9, Geriatric Depression Scale, GAD-7, and emerging measures like the HOPE questionnaire – emphasizing their role in opening deeper clinical conversations. She also highlights Parkinson’s Foundation initiatives that support both clinicians and patients, from PD Health at Home programming to team-based care models. The conversation concludes with ongoing challenges, including cultural barriers to mental health care, access limitations, and the continued need for true mental health parity in Parkinson disease management.

The stories featured in this week’s Neurology News Minute, which will give you quick updates on the following developments in neurology, are further detailed here:

• CTAD Presentation Lays Insights Into Disappointing Phase 3 EVOKE Trial of GLP-1 Semaglutide in Alzheimer Disease
• Gene Therapy ETX101 Demonstrates Significant Effects on Seizure Reduction, Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in POLARIS Phase 1/2 Program
• FDA Accepts NDA for Low-Sodium Oxybate TRN-257 in Narcolepsy and Idiopathic Hypersomnia

EPISODE BREAKDOWN

• 1:10 – How mood and behavior symptoms shape Parkinson disease quality of life
• 5:30 – How conversations about mental health in Parkinson disease have evolved
• 9:25 – Screening tools and practical assessment strategies for mood and anxiety
• 13:40 – Neurology News Minute
• 15:50 – Foundation and community initiatives supporting mood and behavior care
• 19:50 – Remaining gaps, cultural barriers, and mental health parity challenges

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