PSYCHOLOGIC ADJUSTMENT IN PATIENTS AFTER SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE

A series of 45 patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) with no or only marginal neurologic impairment and 36 patients with chronic obst ructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were examined with the German Freibur ger Personality Inventory-Revised. Both groups showed a comparable fre quency of psychologic impairments, except that the patients with COPD had significantly higher scores in the FPI-R bodily complaints and bod ily concern subscales (p < 0.05). In the patients after SAH, loss of m otivation (42%), abnormal introversion (40%), increased emotional labi lity (38%), and strain (31%) were found predominantly. The patients af ter SAH of unknown origin exhibited psychologic disturbances comparabl e with patients after aneurysmal SAH. A ruptured aneurysm of the anter ior communicating artery did not lead to more psychologic disorders th an aneurysms at other locations. Right frontal and right parietal infa rctions were associated with significantly less emotional sensitivity (p = 0.013) and bodily concern (p < 0.001). The results demonstrate a substantial discrepancy between the prevalence of psychologic maladjus tment and the moderate degree of functional impairment in patients aft er SAH, which remains to be explained by future research.