Psychiatric morbidity in patients with transverse myelitis and stroke: A comparison

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric morbidity may be highly prevalent in transverse myelitis (TM), but data on this aspect are limited. AIM: To assess psychiatric morbidity in a clinical sample of patients with idiopathic TM compared to patients with a recent stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with idiopathic TM and stroke (30 each) underwent two-stage screening with the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) and Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I DSM-IV Disorders – Clinician Version (SCID I-CV), and ratings of depression, disability levels, and cognitive impairment. RESULTS: Seventy percent of the patients with TM scored above the cut-off on the GHQ; 30% had a positive diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder. Major depression (17%) was the commonest psychiatric disorder. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores indicated cognitive impairment in 23% of patients with TM. Higher GHQ-12 scores were associated with greater disability. These results were similar to those obtained among patients with stroke. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of psychological distress and psychiatric morbidity was found in idiopathic TM. This morbidity was associated with greater disability.