Treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions associated with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

This article reviews the treatment of behavioral disturbances associated with multiple sclerosis. Pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment data, when available, are presented for five discrete conditions: major depression, bipolar affective disorder, anxiety, psychosis, pseudobulbar affect and cognitive dysfunction. Despite the paucity of empirical treatment data that characterizes all of these conditions, with the exception of pseudobulbar affect, the message from open-label trials and anecdotal experience is that therapy is often successful, leading to improvements in quality of life for patients. Thus, all health professionals involved in the care of multiple sclerosis patients should have a good working knowledge of the neurotherapeutics of multiple sclerosis-related behavioral disorders.

Keywords:

• bipolar affective disorder
• cognitive impairment
• depression
• emotional incontinence
• major depressive disorder
• mania
• multiple sclerosis
• pathological laughing and crying
• pseudobulbar affect
• psychosis
• treatment