Depression and Multiple Sclerosis (A Review of theLiterature and a Case Report)

Overview

Up to a half of the multiple sclerosis patients also suffer from depression. The risk of a suicidalbehavior in these subjects is increased as compared with „non-organic“ depression. At the sametime, depression further deteriorates the patients’ quality of life and his/her disability in additionto the primary neurological disorder. In the presented article, we describe a case of a thirty-yearsoldwoman who has suffered from multiple sclerosis for seven years, and a commorbid depressionhas been present for five years. The treatment with paroxetine proved unsuccessful. Passivity andresignation of the patient represent a barrier from a further therapeutic effort. In the discussionsection, we consider etiology of the depicted depressive symptoms especially as for the treatmentwith interferon beta-1b. The literary knowledge rather testifies against a causal relationshipbetween the administration application of an immunomodulatory agent and an occurance ofa mood disorder in multiple sclerosis. We mention other therapeutic possibilities at the end of thepaper.

Key words:
multiple sclerosis, depression, treatment, interferon.