Lived experiences of psychological distress in neck dystonia.

Purpose: Neck dystonia (ND) is a hyperkinetic movement disorder affecting the head and neck regions. High prevalence rates of psychological distress have been reported in ND. The aim of this research was to explore people's experiences of distress, in order to understand the needs of this population further.

Body image, sexual dysfunction and psychological distress in people with multiple sclerosis.

Purpose: This study examined the relationships between sexual functioning, body image and mood in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Materials And Methods: 104 people with MS and 101 healthy controls (HCs) completed an online survey that assessed sexual functioning, body image, and psychological well-being variables. People with MS were compared to HCs across study variables.

Psychological outcomes following moderate-to-severe acquired brain injury: A longitudinal study.

Emotional distress is highly prevalent in the years following an acquired brain injury (ABI). Yet, there is a lack of research examining the long-term psychological outcomes and potential influencing factors, among individuals with ABIs. In this study, we trace longitudinal changes in neuropsychological outcomes in 32 individuals with moderate-to-severe ABI who engaged in neurorehabilitation in a post-acute hospital.

Cognitive reserve in multiple sclerosis: The role of depression and fatigue.

Background: Several reports suggest that cognitive reserve (CR) may protect against cognitive impairment in MS. Fatigue and depression are common in MS. Yet, their influence on engagement with activities that build CR is unclear.

Effect of psychological interventions on depressive symptoms in the long term after acquired brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological therapies applied more than one year after an acquired brain injury (ABI) in reducing depressive symptoms. A systematic literature search of databases yielded 48 studies that evaluated a psychological intervention for people with an ABI, applied the intervention on average more than one year after the ABI, compared pre- and post-intervention validated measures of depression and were available in English. The intervention did not have to be implemented with the sole of aim of reducing depressive symptoms.

Analysis of the A-B Neuropsychological Assessment Schedule as a Cognitive Screener for Long COVID.

Aim To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the psychometric measures of the A-B Neuropsychological Assessment Schedule (ABNAS) to aid screening of long COVID (LC). Methods The participants (N=235) were recruited from an online study of cognitive and psychological consequences of LC, involving individuals attending an LC service in an acute tertiary university hospital and a comparison sample of community controls.The ABNAS for LC, a patient-perceived assessment scale in relation to the challenges they had encountered from LC, was used to identify the specific psychometric measures implicated in LC.

"I felt like I was missing 'me'": Long-term experiences of intrapersonal loss, grief, and change in adults with an acquired brain injury.

Experiences of loss and change following acquired brain injury (ABI) are frequent and multi-contextual, yet the long-term experiences of people with ABI are not well understood. This study explored the experiences of intrapersonal loss, grief and change in people with ABI, a decade after their injury. Twelve adults with ABI were interviewed 10-13 years post-injury.

"A young person in an old person's body": a reflexive thematic analysis of the experience of living with young onset Parkinson's disease.

Background: People with young-onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD), a term for those diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) under the age of 60, face unique challenges compared to those diagnosed with PD later in life. A better understanding of the lived experience of those with YOPD is essential to delivering bespoke rehabilitation and improving quality of life.

Purpose: To provide insight into the emotional and social lived experience of individuals with YOPD.

A psychological model of predictive factors of distress following long COVID.

Background: Long COVID, described as "the continuation or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection", is estimated to affect at least 10-20 % of all cases of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Because of its novelty, information regarding the experience of Long COVID is still emerging.

Methods: This study examines psychological distress in two long COVID populations, and their experience of fatigue, cognitive failures, experiential avoidance, rumination, and perceived injustice.

A qualitative study on the experiences of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant for Multiple Sclerosis.

Aim: Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is an effective treatment for people with highly-active relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), who are not adequately responding to disease-modifying therapies. To date, research has predominantly focused on disease-specific outcome measures. There is a lack of research exploring patient experiences of this complex treatment.

Navigating the social world with neck dystonia: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Neck dystonia is a neurological condition, characterised by involuntary movements of the neck muscles, causing twisted head positions and often pain and head tremor. Ten participants with neck dystonia were interviewed and the data was analysed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach. Three themes were constructed: (1) dismissed by others for having an unfamiliar condition; (2) negotiating a new social identity; and (3) managing the stigma of a visible condition.

Self-reported immune status and COVID-19 associated subjective cognitive functioning in post-COVID-19 syndrome: Examination of an Irish cohort.

Introduction: Cognitive changes are very frequently reported by people with post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), but there is limited understanding of the underpinning mechanisms leading to these difficulties. It is possible that cognitive difficulties are related to immune status and/or low mood. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between immune status and cognitive functioning in PCS, while considering whether depression symptoms also influence this association.

Neuropsychology intervention for managing invisible symptoms of MS (NIMIS-MS) group: A pilot effectiveness and acceptability study.

Background: People with MS (pwMS) commonly experience a range of hidden symptoms, including cognitive impairment, anxiety and depression, fatigue, pain, and sensory difficulties. These "invisible" symptoms can significantly impact wellbeing, relationships, employment and life goals. We developed a novel bespoke online group neuropsychological intervention combining psychoeducation and cognitive rehabilitation with an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-informed approach for pwMS in an acute tertiary hospital.

Neuropsychological outcomes following HSCT in MS: A systematic review.

Background: Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is considered an effective treatment for highly active multiple sclerosis (MS). To date, most research has focused primarily on disease outcome measures, despite the significant impact of neuropsychological symptoms on MS patients' quality of life. The current systematic review aimed to examine whether HSCT for MS impacts neuropsychological outcome measures such as cognition, fatigue, mood, and quality of life.

Coping with Tourette's syndrome: a meta-ethnography of individual and family perspectives.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-ethnography aimed to examine how children, adults and families cope with Tourette's syndrome (TS).

Methods: A systematic search of four databases was completed in October 2022. Sixteen papers met the inclusion criteria and were synthesised using Noblit and Hare's (1988) meta-ethnographic approach.

"This is real", "this is hard" and "I'm not making it up": Experience of diagnosis and living with non-epileptic attack disorder.

Purpose: To use a qualitative research approach to explore adults' experience of living with non-epileptic attack disorder.

Objective: The objective was to explore the experience of adults (18 years+) with a confirmed diagnosis of non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD) across the trajectory of the disorder. The topics investigated included the onset of symptoms, the experience of non-epileptic attacks, the diagnostic process and living with NEAD.

Attitudes and perceptions of Irish health care professionals regarding functional neurological disorder: A national survey.

Background: Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common and often disabling condition. Limited access to services for FND poses challenges both for patients and their health care providers. This survey explored the attitudes, experiences, support needs and training needs of health care professionals (HCPs) who provide care to individuals with FND in Ireland.

Stigma, coping strategies, distress and wellbeing in individuals with cervical dystonia: a cross-sectional study.

Cervical dystonia (CD) is a movement disorder which causes sustained muscle contractions in the neck leading to abnormal postures and repetitive movements. As it is a highly visible condition, people with CD can experience stigma, which may lead to unhelpful coping strategies and increased psychological distress. This study investigated whether adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies mediate the relationship between stigma and psychological outcomes in people with CD.

A comprehensive cognitive analysis of cervical dystonia: A single centre study.

Introduction: Cervical dystonia (CD) presents as a motor disorder but has a number of non-motor features. Studies have demonstrated diverse changes in cognition in patients with CD. The rarity of this disorder, phenotypic heterogeneity, and, in particular, a lack of consistency in cognitive testing measures limits clear definition of cognitive changes in this disorder.

Systematic review of cognitive reserve in multiple sclerosis: Accounting for physical disability, fatigue, depression, and anxiety.

Background: Cognitive reserve (CR) describes an individual's ability to adapt cognitive processes in response to brain atrophy, and has been reported to explain some of the discrepancy between brain atrophy and cognitive functioning outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS). CR in MS is typically investigated by assessing an individual's pre- and/or post-diagnosis enrichment, which includes premorbid intellectual abilities, educational level, occupational attainment, and engagement in cognitively enriching leisure activities. Common MS symptoms (e.

A 20-Year Systematic Review of the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' Test across Neurodegenerative Conditions.

Social cognition has a broad theoretical definition, which includes the ability to mentalise, i.e., recognise and infer mental states to explain and predict another's behaviour.

Social cognition deficits are associated with lower quality of life in cervical dystonia: A single centre study.

Background And Objectives: Patients with cervical dystonia (CD) demonstrate significant non-motor symptoms including sensory, psychiatric and cognitive features. It has been shown that the non-motor symptoms have a major influence on quality of life. Social cognition, particularly deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM), can affect the development of interpersonal relationships, understanding of social situations and can affect patient outcomes.