Neurológia pre prax 6/2022

Psychiatric disorders in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease leading to muscle weakness and death within 2–5 years. In the absence of a causal treatment, care focuses on reducing the concomitant complications of ALS. Psychiatric issues in ALS patients are common and neglected in clinical practice. The disorders described here – behavioral and cognitive symptoms of frontotemporal degeneration, pseudobulbar affect, and depressive and anxiety disorders – negatively modify the course of the underlying disease, shorten survival time, significantly exacerbate the suffering of ALS patients, and substantially reduce the quality of life and therefore deserves more attention in clinical practice.

Keywords: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cognitive deficit, behavioral changes, pseudobulbar affect, depressive disorder, quality of life