Beyond the typical impairment of motor function, myasthenia gravis has also been loosely associated with other neurological symptoms since its first descriptions. As an example, there have been older studies that have reported an increased incidence of epilepsy and electrophysiological changes in patients with MG. Sleep disorders and memory impairment have also been described in MG, as the cholinergic system plays a major role in these functions. However, the inappropriate methods of these previous studies precluded the establishment of any causal relationship between these findings and disruption of cholinergic neurotransmission. In addition, more recent studies have argued against central nervous system (CNS) compromise in MG.
On the other hand, MG is an autoimmune disease and as such can potentially interfere on the brain function determining behavioral changes, such as depressive disorders and suicidal behavior. Moreover, regarding MG as a chronic, debilitating, life-threatening disease with unpredictable progression, a psychological reaction may be expected in patients diagnosed with the disease. Thus, a subject with myasthenia gravis may be at increased risk of psychiatric disorders.
In the current study we aimed to investigate ...
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