Welcome to the NeurologyLive® Mind Moments® podcast. Tune in to hear leaders in neurology sound off on topics that impact your clinical practice.

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.

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

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:

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