Post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and its correlation with clinical symptoms

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also exhibit non-motor symptoms; however, the relationship between the disease and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is unclear. This study aimed to determine the frequency of PTSD and its correlation with motor disability and cognitive impairment in patients with ALS. PTSD was diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM-V), and its severity was quantified using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) in 106 patients with ALS and 55 healthy controls (HCs). Patients were assessed for clinical symptom severity by the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R). Cognitive and behavioral functioning were assessed by the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS), the Frontal Behavioral Inventory (FBI), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scales. PTSD was diagnosed in 32 (30.2 %) patients with ALS. Compared to patients with ALS and without PTSD (ALS-NP), patients with ALS and PTSD (ALS-P) had significantly lower ALSFRS-R and higher FBI scores ( p < 0.05). Moreover, in the ALS-P patients, the PCL-5 scores significantly correlated with the ALSFRS-R scores ( r = − 0.302; p = 0.03) and FBI scores ( r = 0.421; p = 0.02). Our findings suggest that PTSD is a common condition in patients with ALS.