Validity of the DESPAR questionnaire as a new screening tool for depression in Parkinson’s disease

ObjectiveTo validate the DEpression Screening in PARkinson’s disease (DESPAR) self-administered questionnaire, a subscale of a recently developed new screening tool for secondary depression.BackgroundAlthough depression has a high prevalence in PD, it often remains undetected. Currently, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-1A) is the gold standard screening tool for PD depression, but as a result of its length and complexity it is of limited suitability as a quick and easy screening device. The DESPAR is a short 15-item self-administered questionnaire especially designed for the screening of depression in PD.MethodsWe assessed 215 Patients with PD (mean [SD] age: 68 ± 9 years) at Hoehn and Yahr stages I–V (median: II.0) in a multicenter study using the DESPAR and the BDI-1A. Psychiatric diagnoses were made using the structured Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I). External validity for detection of depression and combined depression/dysthymia was evaluated by receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis.ResultsTwo hundred and eleven patients (98.1%) completed the DESPAR. Internal consistency of the DESPAR was good (Cronbach’s α = 0.91). ROC analysis showed that both questionnaires adequately detected depression without differences in the validity indices (0.897 [95%CI: 0.838–0.956] for DESPAR; AUC 0.924 [95%CI: 0.887–0.960] for BDI-1A; P = 0.463). The optimal cut-off value for detection of depression and combined depression/dysthymia with equal sensitivity and specificity was 29/30 points.ConclusionThe DESPAR showed good internal reliability and external validity for screening for depression and dysthymia in PD. It is thus a useful, brief and easy instrument for identifying PD subjects with depression/dysthymia in daily practice.