Psychiatria Danubina, 2019; Vol. 31, Suppl. 3, pp 299–307 Conference paper © Medicinska naklada - Zagreb, Croatia
THE PREVALENCE OF LYME DISEASE AND ASSOCIATED
CO-INFECTIONS IN PEOPLE WITH A CHRONIC
POST-CONCUSSIVE SYNDROME
Sergio Azzolino1,2, Rashid Zaman3,4,5, Ahmed Hankir2,3,6,7 & Frederick R Carrick1,2,3,8,9
1Department of Neurology, Carrick Institute, Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
2GCSRT, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
3Centre for Mental Health Research in association with University of Cambridge (CMHR-CU), Cambridge, UK
4Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, UK
5Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
6Department of Psychiatry, Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies, Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
7South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
8Department of Neurology, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA
9Department of Health Professions Education, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA, USA
Introduction: There is increasing awareness that Lyme borreliosis (LB) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) may cause mental health symptoms. TBI and Lyme disease compromise the health and activities of millions of patients per year.
The chronic symptoms and disability of TBI and Lyme disease share a similar clinical presentation.
We have identified an alarming number of individuals suffering from post-concussion syndrome (PCS) that are refractory to care and that have serologically tested positive for Lyme disease.
Subject and methods: A single-center retrospective review of patient charts that were symptomatic a minimum of one year after a TBI that were tested for Lyme disease to ascertain if there was a relationship.
Results: 217 PCS patient records (93 females with a mean age of 34 years, 120 males with a mean age of 40 years and 4 individuals with unknown gender) were included in the review. 38% had a positive Western Blot Igenex IgM.
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Last Update- September 2019
Lucy Barnes
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