Background: Lyme borreliosis is a chronic, multisystem disease, of prolong course with three consecutive stages, caused by a tick-transmitted spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE) is neuroinfection caused by Tick Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV).
Objective: We evaluated the occurrence of psychiatric manifestations in the early phase of borreliosis-erythema migrans and neuroboreliosis as well as in its late phase--in arthritis and in the Tick-Born Encephalitis. The aim of the study was to single out the most frequent psychiatric symptoms and psychopathological syndroms and to determine their dynamics.
Methods: The study was carried out between 1999 and 2000 and comprised 174 patients of the Department of Psychiatry and Department of Infectious and Neuroinfectious Diseases of Medical Academy in Bialystok. Seventy seven patients diagnosed with arthritis, 20 with neuroborreliosis, 26 with skin manifestation-erythrema migrans and 51 with KZM participated. All subjects underwent psychiatric evaluation twice--during hospitalization and six month after discharge. Mental status examinations included general psychiatric examination and battery of scales and tests: Mini Mental State Examination, Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Reitan's Trail Making Test, Choynowsky Memory Scale, Symptoms Inventory and neuropsychological testing.
Results: Both in the course of TBE and Lyme borreliosis the majority of patients experienced psychiatric problems in the acute phase of disease as well as in the late phase--3, 6 months after the onset of the disease. The most common psychiatric manifestations were depressive disorders--episodes of depression or organic mood disorders, and cognitive deficits which manifest themselves as mild cognitive disorder or dementia.
Conclusion: Psychiatric assessment is important in early stage of kzm and borreliosis but first of all after termination of acute symptomatology.