Multiple Sclerosis: The Invisible Impacts

There are many aspects to multiple sclerosis that are puzzling to patients and perplexing to health professionals - the "invisible symptoms". These include pain, fatigue, cognitive impairment, psychiatric aspects, and the effect of MS on self and family. These less concrete symptoms may be overlooked at consultation, perhaps because the patient has limited awareness of the precise difficulties that they are experiencing or of the importance of sharing this experience with a healthworker.  Often more abstract and subtle in nature than the physical symptoms, they are usually also harder to talk about. In any event, the invisible symptoms require specific knowledge and expertise for successful assessment and management. Healthcare professionals must achieve a shared perspective of clinical needs and best practise. Multiple Sclerosis- the invisible impacts offers authoritative, accessible summaries for healthcare workers. Each invisible impact has a separate heading, and is thus easily locatable. Each invisible impact has two dedicated chapters: the evidence base; and clinical assessment and management. The evidence base is a current, expert synthesis of the relevant research, with priority given to major reviews and summaries of key and classic papers from all disciplines that have informed the field or presage new developments. The clinical assessment and management chapter is a comprehensive, practical guide to evidence-based clinical work in a multidisciplinary context. This arrangement of material allows efficient and near-immediate access to specific practise information, which is further facilitated by a common structure shared by these chapters. The theoretical models and research that underpin the development of the recommended assessment techniques, investigations, measures and treatments are conveniently presented separately, so that the reader may consider them when they have the time.

This volume examines the many aspects to multiple sclerosis that are puzzling to patients and perplexing to health professionals: the invisible symptoms. These include pain, fatigue, cognitive impairment, psychiatric aspects and the effect on self and family.

Uniquely comprehensive volume providing readers with clinical management advice covering all psychosocial aspects of MS

1.Somatic aspects, (i) Pain, a. evidence base for pain, b. clinical assessment and management of pain, (ii) Fatigue, a. evidence base for fatigue, b. clinical assessment and management fatigue.- 2. Cognition, a. Evidence base for cognition, b. Clinical assessment and management of cognition.- 3. Psychiatric and behavioural aspects, (i)depression, a. evidence base for depression, b. clinical assessment and management of depression, (ii) anxiety, a . evidence base for anxiety, b. clinical assessment and management of anxiety, (iii) anger, a. evidence base for anger, b. clinical assessment and management of anger, (iv) psychosis, a. evidence base for psychosis, b. clinical assessment and management of psychosis, (v) pseudobulbar affect, a. evidence base for pseudobulbar affect, b. clinical assessment and management of pseudobulbar affect.- 4. Self and family, Coping by people with MS, (will include adjustment, self-esteem, self-efficacy), a. Evidence base for coping, b. Clinical assessment and support for coping, (ii)Partners of people with MS, a. Evidence base for partners, b. Clinical assessment and support for partners, (iii) Parents with MS and their children, a. Evidence base for parents with MS and their children, b. Clinical assessment and support for parents with MS and their children.