TY - JOUR
T1 - Personality disorders
T2 - Understanding and managing the difficult patient in neurology practice
AU - Ferrando, Stephen J.
AU - Okoli, Uchenwa
PY - 2009/7/1
Y1 - 2009/7/1
N2 - This article provides a background for understanding and managing maladaptive personality traits and personality disorders in neurology practice. These characteristics are commonplace in neurology patients and may cause diagnostic confusion, increased functional impairment, and complications in the doctor-patient relationship. Maladaptive personality traits and personality disorders may precede neurological illness, may contribute to circumstances that lead to neurological injury, and may be caused by neurological illness, or some combination of these factors. Maladaptive personality traits associated with key neurological illnesses are reviewed, as are the major personality disorders, maladaptive defense mechanisms, countertransference reactions, and how these combine to contribute to difficulty in patient management. Finally, basic clinical management strategies are suggested.
AB - This article provides a background for understanding and managing maladaptive personality traits and personality disorders in neurology practice. These characteristics are commonplace in neurology patients and may cause diagnostic confusion, increased functional impairment, and complications in the doctor-patient relationship. Maladaptive personality traits and personality disorders may precede neurological illness, may contribute to circumstances that lead to neurological injury, and may be caused by neurological illness, or some combination of these factors. Maladaptive personality traits associated with key neurological illnesses are reviewed, as are the major personality disorders, maladaptive defense mechanisms, countertransference reactions, and how these combine to contribute to difficulty in patient management. Finally, basic clinical management strategies are suggested.
KW - "Difficult patients"
KW - Defense mechanisms
KW - Maladaptive personality traits
KW - Personality disorders
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=67650095151&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=67650095151&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1055/s-0029-1223880
DO - 10.1055/s-0029-1223880
M3 - Review article
C2 - 19551603
AN - SCOPUS:67650095151
VL - 29
SP - 266
EP - 272
JO - Seminars in Neurology
JF - Seminars in Neurology
SN - 0271-8235
IS - 3
ER -