For many people who suffer from depression, the condition means more than just feeling down, it also means a loss of motivation and difficulty finding enjoyment in activities they used to enjoy. A study conducted at Lund University and the Skåne region in Sweden shows that a drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease can be used as an add-on therapy to reduce symptoms in some patients with treatment-resistant depression.
This research natural medicine.
Researchers from Lund University and the Skåne Region Psychiatric Service have identified a potential new treatment for symptoms associated with depression, which involve a reduced ability to feel joy, pleasure and motivation, known as anhedonia. Those affected may lose interest in things that they previously found meaningful or rewarding.
This study is an example of so-called drug repurposing, where an already approved drug is used to treat another condition. In this study, researchers investigated pramipexole, which has been used for many years to treat Parkinson’s disease, as an add-on therapy for depression with significant anhedonia.
“Anhedonia is one of the most debilitating symptoms of depression, and current antidepressant treatments often have limited efficacy. Our findings suggest that pramipexole may be an important new treatment option for this patient group,” says Daniel Lindqvist, researcher at Lund University and senior consultant in the Skåne Region Psychiatry.
All participants in the study had significant anhedonia. Patients received pramipexole or a placebo for 9 weeks in addition to their ongoing medications.
“Patients treated with pramipexole for anhedonia showed more significant improvement compared to the placebo group. For patients who chose to continue treatment, the effect persisted during the six-month follow-up period,” says Daniel Lindqvist.
The researchers used advanced brain imaging technology (7 Tesla fMRI) to investigate possible biological mechanisms underlying the effect, and activity monitors to assess whether the treatment affected patients’ daily movements and activity levels.
“We found that pramipexole has a positive effect on the brain’s reward system and is associated with increased physical activity in daily life. This supports the theory that this drug affects the dopamine system, which plays an important role in motivation and reward processing,” says Philipp Ventorp, a postdoctoral researcher at Lund University and a medical resident in the Skåne region.
Most patients did not experience major problems with treatment, and few patients dropped out during the randomized controlled trial. Common side effects include sleep disturbances, nausea, and dizziness, which can usually be managed by adjusting the dose. Those who chose to continue the follow-up phase of the study for an additional six months generally responded well to treatment.
Marie Asp, psychiatry researcher at Lund University and senior consultant in psychiatry in the Skåne region, says: “Efficacy and safety were maintained over a long period of time, even in the follow-up phase, which is particularly important in cases of long-term, treatment-resistant depression. Most of the participants in our study tolerated the drug well, but it is important to monitor for side effects such as impulse control disorders and daytime fatigue.”
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DOI: 10.1038/s41591-026-04465-9
