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Anxiety in patients with multiple sclerosis
1Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Seminars in Clinical Neuropsychiatry
|June 23, 1999
Summary
Anxiety disorders are common in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) but often missed. This guide helps psychiatrists diagnose and treat anxiety in MS patients, considering disease progression and brain changes.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Anxiety disorders are frequently overlooked in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients.
- Differentiating anxiety from personality or reactive tendencies in neurological disease is challenging.
- Understanding the psychological impact of MS is crucial for effective patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide consulting psychiatrists with guidelines for psychological support in MS patients.
- To review diagnostic and treatment strategies for anxiety in various MS disease stages.
- To explore the neurobiological links between MS and anxiety disorders.
Main Methods:
- Review of DSM-IV criteria for differential diagnosis of anxiety in MS.
- Examination of psychotherapeutic, behavioral, and pharmacological interventions.
- Analysis of neuro-imaging techniques correlating brain changes with neuropsychiatric findings.
Main Results:
- Guidelines for diagnosing and managing anxiety in MS patients are presented.
- Specific focus on steroid-induced anxiety treatment.
- Neuro-imaging reveals correlations between brain lesions and neuropsychiatric symptoms in MS.
Conclusions:
- Anxiety disorders are significantly associated with cerebral involvement in MS.
- Common neurological and biochemical mechanisms may underlie MS and anxiety.
- Improved diagnosis and treatment of anxiety in MS patients are achievable with current knowledge.