Psychosocial aspects of Parkinson's disease.

A long-term therapy for Parkinson's disease consists of the treatment of several main groups of symptoms including tremor, rigor and akinesia as well as accompanying symptoms and their effect on the present situation in the patient's life. Special attention must be given to the psychological stare, as one often finds an overlapping of psychological side effects due to socially isolating symptoms (p.e. tremor, akinesia, bradyphrenia). and medication and depressive disorders. Many misunderstandings and disturbing resistance to treatment can be avoided by sufficiently informing the patients about the course of development of Parkinson's disease and the value of planned therapeutic measures. Finally, there is also the task of informing and aiding relatives in order to deal effectively with great tension and increasing isolation of the patient So, aside from frightening symptoms, it is very important to actively encourage and inform all concerned and to give them psychological care.