Abstract
Purpose :
Assess the presence of anxiety, depression and stress in a group of patients with neuro-ophthalmicdisorders who were treated in a specialized clinic in Campinas, SP, Brazil
Evaluate the relationship between the severity of visual impairment and the intensity of psychic symptoms
Correlate psychic disorders with neuro-ophthalmicdiagnoses
Methods :
Cross-sectional study with the application of a questionnaire on the relationship between the psychological and neuro-ophthalmic disorders (Depression and Anxiety Scales (DASS-21) in 30 patients diagnosed with neuro-ophthalmic disorder.
The results were analyzed individually, through the same application.
Results :
14 patients did not return their answers, although insistently requested
Within the 16 patients (12 women and 4 men) that answered the questionnaire, 12 (75%) presented depression symptoms, 13 (81%) anxiety and 8 (50%) stress
9 patients presented optical neuritis, 4 NAION, 1 Ischemic Stroke and 1 Devic disease
Depression was mild in 1 patient (6%), moderate in 2(12%), severe in 2 (12%) and very severe in 7 patients (44%)
Anxiety was moderate in 4(25%) and very severe in 9 (56%) cases
Stress was mild in 1 case (6%), moderate in 3 (19%) and very severe in 4 cases (25%).
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VISUAL ACUITY IN THE AFFECTED EYE AND PSYCHIC SYMPTOMS
100% of patients with visual acuity below 20/40 in the affected eye presented very severe depression and anxiety and stress.
80% of patients with visual acuity between 20/40 and 20/30 in the affected eye presented psychic symptoms with intensities from mild to very severe
75% of patients with satisfactory visual acuity (20/25 - 20/20 )presented symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress from mild to very severe.
Conclusions :
81.2% of neuro-ophthalmic patients presented symptoms of depression, anxiety and/or stress.
A positive correlation was observed between the severity of visual impairment, incidence and severity of psychic symptoms. However, even in the group of patients with satisfactory vision, 75% had symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, from mild to very severe.
70% of patients with optical neuritis and 100% of patients with Devic disease, ischemic stroke and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy(NAION) presented some degree of depression, anxiety and/or stress.
This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.