Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-mp689 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T10:48:00.434Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Whiplash associated disorders: is there a place for psychiatrists and psychologists?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

F.R.J. Verhey ,
S.Z. Stapert  and
J. Jolles
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Between 25 and 30% of the victims of a whiplash injury have complaints after one year. This condition is referred to as late whiplash syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by pain of the neck, headache, forgetfulness, poor concentration, mental fatigue, and affective symptoms. The causes of the persistent symptoms are unknown. In all, the evidence that late-whiplash syndrome is a neurological disorder is flimsy. Current opinion holds that the acute basis is the painful injury of the neck. In the months following the accident, pain is the substrate on which psychological and social factors may act. Emotional symptoms such as lability of affect and disturbed mood, or posttraumatic stress disorders are common after whiplash. Although there is definitely a place for psychiatrists and psychologists in the treatment of late whiplash syndrome, these professionals are not involved in late whiplash disorder as much as they should be. Brief psychological treatment has proven to significantly reduce the severity and duration of symptoms. Optimal management must cover the treatment of pain, depression, anxiety, and fatigue; adequate psycho-education, stressing the good long-term outcome; and education of patients and relatives on possible cognitive symptoms.

Type
Research Article
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , December 1999 , pp. 134 - 136
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature

1.Radanov, BP, Sturzenegger, M, DiStefano, G. Longterm outcome after whiplash injury: a 2 year follow-up considering features of injury mechanism and somatic, radiologic, and psychosocial findings. Medicine 1995; 74: 281–97.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Pearce, JMS. Polemics of chronic whiplash injury. Neurology 1994; 44: 1993–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Wijngaarden, GKv. Het late ‘whiplash-syndroom’: realiteit of fictie? Ned Tijdschr Geneesk 1991; 135: 279–83.Google Scholar
4.Norris, SH, Watt, I. The prognosis of neck-injuries resulting from rear-end vehicle collusions. Journal Bone Joint Surg [Br] 1983; 65B56-A: 608–11.Google Scholar
5.Pearce, JMS. Whiplash injury: a reappraisal. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1989; 52: 1329–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Radanov, BP, Dvorak, J, Valach, L. Cognitive deficits in patients after softtissue injury ofthe cervical spine. Spine 1992; 17:127–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Radanov, B, Stefano, GD, Schindrig, A, Ballinari, P. Role of psychosocial stress in recovery from common whiplash. Lancet 1991; 338: 712–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Schrader, H, Obelieniene, D, Bovim, G, et al.Natural evolution of late whiplash syndrome outside the medicolegal context. Lancet 1996; ii: 1207–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Radanov, BP. Common whiplash- research findings. J Rheumat 1997; 24: 623–5.Google ScholarPubMed
10.Verhey, FRJ. Post-Whiplash syndroom. Ned Tijdschr Geneesk 1991; 135: 678.Google Scholar
11.Alexander, MP. In the pursuit of proof of brain damage after whiplash injury. Neurology 1998; 51: 336–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Gennarelli, TA, Thibault, LE, Adams, JH, Graham, DI, Thompson, CJ, Marcinin, RP. Diffuse axonal injury and traumatic coma in the primate. Neurology 1982; 12: 564–74.Google ScholarPubMed
13.Jacobs, A, Put, E, Ingels, M, Put, T, Bossuyt, A. One-year follow-up of technetium-99-m-HMPAO SPECT in mild head injury. Eur J Nucl Med 1996; 37: 1605–9.Google ScholarPubMed
14.Otte, A, Ettlin, T, Fierz, L, Mueller-Brand, J. Parieto-occipital hypoperfusion in late whiplash syndrome: first quantitative SPET study using technetium-99-m bicisate (ECD). Eur J Nucl Med 1996; 23: 72–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Bicik, I, Radanov, BP, Schäfer, N, et al.PET with 18-fluorodeoxy-glusoe and hexamethylpropylene amine oxime SPECT in late whiplash syndrome. Neurology 1998; 51: 345–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Hofman, P, Verhey, FRJ, Rozendaal, N, Jolies, J, Wilmink, JT. Brain lesions in patients with post-concussional sequelae after mild head injury. (Proceedings of the XXII Congress of the European Society of Neuroradiology). Neuroradiol 1996; 38: 125.Google Scholar
17.Gordon, DA. The rheumatologist and chronic whiplash syndrome. J Rheumatol 1997; 24: 617–8.Google ScholarPubMed
18.Ferrari, R, Russell, AS. The whiplash syndrome-common sense revisited. J Rheumatol 1997; 24: 618–23.Google ScholarPubMed
19.Ferrari, R, Russell, AS. Whiplash: heading for a higher ground. Spine 1999; 24: 97–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Jolies, J, Verhey, FRJ, Riedel, WJ, Houx, PJ. Cognitive impairment in elderly people: predisposing factors and implications for drug therapy. Drugs and Aging 1995; 7: 459–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Lishman, WA. Physiogenesis and psychogenesis in the post-concussional syndrome. Br J Psychiatry 1988; 153: 460–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Mittenberg, W, DiGiulo, DV, Perrin, S, Bass, AE. Symptoms following mild head injury: expectation as etiology. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1992; 55: 200–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23.Lee, J, Giles, K, Drummond, PD. Psychological disturbances and an exaggerated response to pain in patients with whiplash injury. J Psychosom Res 1993; 37: 103–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Verhey, FRJ. Zit whiplash tussen de oren? Verkeersrecht 1998; 7/8: 194–6.Google Scholar
25.Stapert, SZ, Jolies, J. Neuropsychologische aspecten van het whip-lashletsel. Verkeersrecht 1998; 7/8: 202–4.Google Scholar
26.Miller, W, Mittenberg, W. Bief cognitive behavioral interventions in mild traumatic head injury. Applied Psychology 1998; 5: 172–83.Google Scholar
27.Ponds, RWHM, Schmidt, AJM, Lugt, Md, Lulofs, R, Verhey, FRJ, Jolies, J. De angst om te vergeten: behandeling van functionele geheugenklachten. Tijdschr Psychiatr 1995; 37: 62–8.Google Scholar