Neuropsychiatric Disorders in People Living with Motor Neurone Disease and their Family Members

Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research; Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh; Trinity College Dublin

Background: Cognitive and behavioural changes are present in approximately 50% of people living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and around 15% of cases meet the criteria for behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia (FTD; 1). Behavioural changes are similar to those in neuropsychiatric disorders.  Furthermore, some neuropsychiatric disorders including psychosis and suicide are reported at higher than expected frequencies in MND kindreds (2). This study aims to investigate the frequencies of specific psychiatric disorders in people living with MND and their family members compared to the general population.

Methods: People living with MND are currently being recruited through national MND registers in Scotland and Ireland (n=120) along with as many of their first and second degree relatives as possible. Additionally, healthy controls and their family members are also being recruited. Symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder etc.) are being measured using self-report questionnaires. The Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS) is being using to measure cognition and where possible, a spouse/partner/close friend is providing information on the participant's behaviour in a semi-structured interview.

Results: To date, data has been collected from 27 participants with MND and 47 healthy controls in Scotland. 16 family members of MND participants and 13 of healthy controls have participated. Based on established cut-offs, high levels of depressive symptoms were found in 4 (14.81%) people living with MND and 3 (18.75%) of their family members compared to 2 (4.26%) healthy controls and 1 (8.33%) healthy control family member. A period of mania was reported by 5 (18.52%) of people living with MND and 6 (37.50%) of their family members compared to 11 (23.40%) and 1 (7.69%) of the healthy controls and their family members respectively.

Conclusions: This preliminary analysis suggests that there are low rates of psychiatric symptoms in people living with MND and their family members. Reported manic periods were more frequent in MND family members however more data will need to be collected to confirm this trend.

References

1. Goldstein LH, & Abrahams S Lancet Neurol 2013; 12:368-380
2. Bryne S, Heverin M, Elamin M et al Ann Neurol 2013; 74:699-708

Funded by: Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology