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Sydenham's chorea and psychopathology
1University of Iowa, Iowa City.
Neuropsychobiology
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Sydenham's chorea, a rheumatic fever complication, is linked to long-term psychiatric issues. Patients showed significantly more psychiatric symptoms and schizophrenia than controls a decade later.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Sydenham's chorea (SC) is a movement disorder associated with rheumatic fever.
- SC involves basal ganglia pathology and has been linked to increased psychopathology.
- The long-term psychiatric sequelae of SC require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively assess the long-term frequency of psychiatric symptoms in individuals with Sydenham's chorea.
- To compare the incidence of psychopathology in SC patients versus matched controls over a 10-year period.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study design.
- Inclusion of 29 subjects diagnosed with Sydenham's chorea.
- Comparison with 29 age- and sex-matched control subjects.
Main Results:
- A significantly higher total number of psychiatric symptoms was observed in the Sydenham's chorea group 10 years post-initial contact (p < 0.001).
- Schizophrenia was diagnosed more frequently in the Sydenham's chorea cohort compared to controls (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Sydenham's chorea is associated with a substantial and persistent increase in psychiatric morbidity, including schizophrenia.
- Findings suggest potential neuropathological links between SC and later-life psychiatric disorders.
- Further research into neuropathological associations and treatment strategies for SC-related psychopathology is warranted.