Gender Disparities in Mood and Quality of Life of Parkinson Disease After DBS: Molly Abbott, BM BCh

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

"This work’s important because we know that anxiety and depression affect up to half of our patients [with Parkinson disease]. Yet we don’t know whether this prevalence is replicated within a deep brain stimulation cohort (DBS), nor whether the same gender differences that we see in the general Parkinson population are replicated in a DBS cohort."

Moods such as anxiety and depression impact between 40% to 50% of patients living with Parkinson disease (PD), with studies showing a higher prevalence in women.^1,2 Research has also shown that fewer women with PD have undergone deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery because of reduced patient preference, increased depression, reduced clinician referrals.³ In a recent study of a DBS cohort, findings revealed that women with PD were disproportionately underrepresented and had a reduced quality of life, with significantly reduced preoperative social support.⁴

These results were presented as an awarded poster at the recently concluded 4th Annual Advanced Therapeutics in Movement and Related Disorders (ATMRD) Congress, held by the PMD Alliance from June 27-30, 2025. Presented by lead author Molly Abbott, BM BCh, resident doctor and neuropsychiatry researcher at King's College London, the findings from the study support the practice of tailored DBS counselling by gender, particularly considering reducing social support in women. The belief is that a type of study like this may provide momentum for additional research into the reasons underpinning the gender difference in PD symptoms, and the barriers to women recruitment for DBS.

To explore the broader implications of this study, Abbott sat down with NeurologyLive^® to discuss the intersection of gender, mood, and quality of life in patients with PD undergoing DBS. In the conversation, she touched on key themes from the study such as patient representation, pre- and postoperative experiences, and how these insights may shape future approaches to care. Overall, Abbott’s reflections during the interview emphasized the importance of considering gender-specific factors when assessing outcomes and counseling patients ahead of DBS surgery.

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REFERENCES
1. Jost ST, Strobel L, Rizos A, et al. Gender gap in deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 2022;8(1):47. Published 2022 Apr 20. doi:10.1038/s41531-022-00305-y
2. Cerri S, Mus L, Blandini F. Parkinson's Disease in Women and Men: What's the Difference?. J Parkinsons Dis. 2019;9(3):501-515. doi:10.3233/JPD-191683
3. Shpiner DS, Di Luca DG, Cajigas I, et al. Gender Disparities in Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease. Neuromodulation. 2019;22(4):484-488. doi:10.1111/ner.12973
4. Abbott M, Ahmed A, Okai D, et al. Gender Differences in Depression, Anxiety and Quality of Life in Parkinson’s Disease Before and After Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery: A Multicenter Cohort Study. Presented at: ATMRD; June 27-30, 2025; Washington, DC. P-53