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SPEAKER 1: Psychosis is
a common symptom of Parkinson's
disease.
More than half of all patients
will eventually develop
some symptoms.
SPEAKER 2: Psychosis is
a syndrome in which someone's
ability to test or verify
reality is impaired.
Psychosis generally occurs
in moderate or advanced stages
of Parkinson's disease.
SPEAKER 1: We're not
sure of the exact cause.
But chemicals in the brain,
like dopamine and serotonin,
seem to play a role.
Psychosis can mean
different things depending
on the person
and how advanced it is.
SPEAKER 2: The main types
of psychotic symptoms
of Parkinson's includes
a phantom presence, illusions,
hallucinations, and delusions.
SPEAKER 1: Phantom presence
means feeling like someone is
right next to you or behind you.
Illusions are misinterpreting
something, like hearing
something wrong
or mistaking a jacket on a chair
as a person.
Hallucinations are something you
see, hear, smell, taste, or feel
that isn't really there.
Delusions are false beliefs that
get stuck in your head,
like paranoia or thinking
a spouse is cheating.
If someone is experiencing
these symptoms,
there are treatment options.
The first step is to check
for other causes or triggers,
for instance, are they sleep
deprived, or do they have
an infection?
After that, the doctor may try
to eliminate or reduce
the medications currently being
taken.
If none of those work,
antipsychotic medications might
be prescribed.
SPEAKER 2: The most important
thing is for the family
to recognize that patients may
often experience these symptoms
for months or years
before they ever mention it.
The family may see subtle clues
in the behavior of someone,
looking around like this,
randomly, or something
like that.
They seem to be concerned when
no one's in the room.
These are often subtle clues
that someone's having
psychotic symptoms.
But the most important thing
to do is to mention it
to their neurologist
or psychiatrist.
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