Relationship between diabetic neuropathy and occurrence of depression among diabetic patients.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to explore the relationship between peripheral diabetic neuropathy (PDN), walking instability, and the intensification of depression symptoms in diabetic patients.
Results Summary
The study found that symptoms related to walking instability and reduced everyday activities were strong predictors of worsening depression in diabetic patients with PDN, while the relationship between neuropathic ulcers and depression remained unclear.
Population
Diabetic patients with peripheral diabetic neuropathy (PDN).
Effective Dosage
Not available
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diabetes | increase | symptoms of depression | - | - | can aggravate | #1 |
Diabetes | increase | peripheral diabetic neuropathy (PDN) | - | - | complication is | #2 |
PDN | increase | depression | - | - | presence of the relationship | #3 |
symptoms connected with instability while walking and reduction of everyday activities | increase | intensification of depression symptoms | - | - | were the strongest predictors | #4 |
neuropathic ulcers | no change | depression | - | - | relationship is considered as ambiguous | #5 |
depression | increase | pain | - | - | modification of perceived symptoms | #6 |
Diabetes itself, by its nature, can aggravate the symptoms of depression. One of its main complications is peripheral diabetic neuropathy (PDN). Based on the literature the presence of the relationship between the PDN and depression is confirmed. The symptoms connected with instability while walking and reduction of everyday activities were the strongest predictors of the intensification of depression symptoms. The relationship between the neuropathic ulcers and depression is considered as ambiguous. Additional problems in diagnosis and evaluation is the polyetiologic character of the disease, damage to the nerve fibers of different thickness, variety of methods of the diagnosis and differences in the prevalence of diabetic neuropathy (26%-50%). The presence of the described differences may be connected with diagnostic methods and the fact of the modification of perceived symptoms such as pain by the depression itself. One of the results of difficulties in describing the relationships and diagnosis are problems, described in the literature, with the selection of patients requiring treatment of PDN.