Anxiety Linked to Greater Pain in Parkinson's
A cross-sectional study of 100 patients found anxiety severity consistently tracked with pain in Parkinson's disease.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Alzheimer’s
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Researchers presented findings at the 151st Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association showing that anxiety severity correlated with pain in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The study enrolled 100 patients aged 45 to 86 years at a movement disorders centre in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Why it matters
The findings suggest anxiety may be a treatable contributor to pain in Parkinson's, which could widen how patients and clinicians approach symptom relief. Mental illness carries significant stigma in Georgia and other post-Soviet countries, and patients may avoid psychiatric care because they fear being considered crazy.
The study measured anxiety with the GAD-7 and pain with the King's PD Pain Scale across 100 patients aged 45 to 86, finding total pain correlated with anxiety at r = 0.4 (P < .001). Whether treating anxiety would reduce pain remains untested, as the cross-sectional design cannot establish causation.
The players
American Neurological Association
A professional medical organization of neurologists that hosts an annual meeting where researchers present clinical and scientific findings.
Khechinashvili University Hospital Movement Disorders Referral Centre
A specialized movement disorders clinic in Tbilisi, Georgia, where the study patients were enrolled and evaluated.
The details
Patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease were assessed for anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Test-7 and for pain using the King's PD Pain Scale. Depression on the Beck Depression Index showed only weak correlations with several pain outcomes, while disease duration, cognitive scores and sex showed no significant links to pain.
Timeline
Patients were enrolled between November 2023 and May 2024.
Findings were presented on November 6, 2026, at the 151st Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association.
Clinical Landscape
Earlier research on chronic pain has largely focused on depression as its psychological correlate. This study shifts attention toward anxiety in Parkinson's disease, where anxiety showed consistent correlations with pain while depression did not.
Patients with Parkinson's who experience pain may find that anxiety is a factor worth raising with their care team. The findings point to mental health screening as a possible part of pain management, though no treatment changes are established by this study.
The takeaway
Pain in Parkinson's disease may be linked to anxiety as much as to motor symptoms, a connection worth considering in routine care. Patients who feel anxious and hurting should not assume the two are unrelated.
Further reading
For more on related brain disorders, explore our Alzheimer's coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Healio.
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Would you feel comfortable discussing anxiety with your doctor if you had chronic pain?
