Neurasthenic syndrome

Types of disorder

The disorder can be divided into two types, which, however, are more or less intertwined:

• In the case of the first type, patients complain of easy mental fatigue, slowness, or loose thinking. Mental fatigue is described as nagging thoughts, or memories that prevent the patient from concentrating. It is also associated with reduced performance at work.

• The second type is more about physical exhaustion, weakness. The patient is tired even after minimal exertion.

In the case of neurasthenia, other unpleasant symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and in some cases even insomnia are felt. Hypersomnia occurs more rarely.

Diagnosis

To determine the diagnosis of neurasthenia, there must be complaints of increased fatigue after mental exertion, or longing for physical weakness and exhaustion after minimal exertion.

At least two of the following: muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, sleep disorders, inability to relax, tension, …

Absence of severe symptoms of depression or anxiety required for a diagnosis of a depressive syndrome or one of the anxiety disorders.

Treatment

The basic treatment is primarily long-term clinical management with the simultaneous use of various psychotherapeutic procedures, possibly the administration of antidepressants (SSRIs, RIMA).

Links

References

• MKN-10, Duševní poruchy a poruchy chování, Psychiatrické Centrum Praha 1992, ISBN 80-85121-44-1
• RABOCH, Jiří, Pavel PAVLOVSKÝ a Dana JANOTOVÁ. Psychiatrie: minimum pro praxi. 5. vyd. Praha: Triton, 2012. ISBN 978-80-7387-582-4.