title: Psychiatric disorders in persistent and remitted Sydenham's chorea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sydenham's chorea (SC) has been associated with increased frequency of psychiatric disorders. The objective of the present study was to determine whether there is any difference in the frequency of psychiatric disorders between SC patients in remission and patients with persistent chorea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty consecutive patients with SC (mean age ± SD, years; 21.5 ± 6.7; M/F; 10/40) were subjected to a comprehensive and structured psychiatric evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most frequent psychiatric disorders observed in SC patients were: major depression (14%); generalized anxiety disorder (16%), social phobia (24%) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (24%). The frequency of psychiatric disorders did not differ between SC patients in remission in comparison with patients with persistent chorea, except for depressive disorders which were more frequent in the later
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychiatric disorders are common among young adults with SC regardless of the status of motor symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Branch, Neurology Unit, University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Janaina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Branch, Neurology Unit, University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kummer
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Branch, Neurology Unit, University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Estefânia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Harsányi
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorders Clinic, Neurology Unit, University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Branch, Neurology Unit, University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Electronic address: altexjr@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Antonio L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D002819:Chorea / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Obsessive-compulsive disorder; Rheumatic fever; Sydenham's chorea