The Science Behind Chronic Lyme Disease

When a young woman with no history of mental health issues suddenly began experiencing auditory hallucinations, her parents sought help immediately. The teenager was admitted to a psychiatric hospital and placed on antipsychotic medication, but it didn’t help. Several months and more than 2 dozen doctors later, the parents took their daughter to Amen Clinics where brain imaging, lab tests, and clinical investigation led to a different diagnosis—Lyme disease. With the proper treatment, the young woman eventually got her life back. She isn’t alone. It is estimated that approximately 476,000 Americans may contract Lyme disease each year, according to the CDC. Many of these people are treated immediately with antibiotics and recover from the disease. Others, however, develop bothersome symptoms that linger and become chronic Lyme disease, also called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. Hundreds of people have come to Amen Clinics with mysterious psychological symptoms or cognitive issues that aren’t responding to standard psychiatric treatment, and they end up testing positive for Lyme disease. In many of these cases, the people have been struggling with unresolved issues for years but none of their mental healthcare providers ever tested them for infectious diseases. When these patients received an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, their symptoms improved significantly. Hundreds of people have come to Amen Clinics with mysterious psychological symptoms or cognitive issues that aren’t responding to standard psychiatric treatment, and they end up testing positive for Lyme disease.

Click to tweet

WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?

Lyme disease is a tick-borne bacterial infection. It is caused by the bite of an infected black-legged tick, also called a deer tick. These ticks are primarily found in the Northeast, northern Midwest, Mid-Atlantic states, and the West Coast. Many people who become infected with Lyme disease don’t recall being bitten by a tick and they don’t get the telltale “bulls-eye” rash that is characteristic of the disease. This is one of the reasons the illness often goes undetected. When left untreated, the infection hijacks the immune system and leads to a cascade of inflammatory responses that can have devastating, life-altering effects.

COGNITIVE AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS OF LYME DISEASE

Lyme disease is a major cause of psychiatric and cognitive problems, but few medical professionals know it. But there is a growing amount of scientific research on the link between Lyme disease and these chronic issues. For example, a 2019 study in JAMA Psychiatry found that having a severe infection requiring hospitalization in childhood significantly increased the risk of mental health disorders later in life. Earlier research in the same journal from 2013 followed over 3.5 million people and found that being hospitalized for any infection heightened the risk for mood disorders later in life by 62%. Lyme disease is a major cause of psychiatric and cognitive problems, but few medical professionals know it.

Click to tweet

Lyme disease has been associated with a wide range of neuropsychological issues, including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Impaired attention and focus
• Memory problems
• Brain fog
• Mania
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations

Two of the most common symptoms are memory problems and negative changes in mental sharpness—both of which are experienced by 70% of people with chronic Lyme disease.

WHY LYME DISEASE IS OFTEN UNDETECTED OR MISDIAGNOSED

Because Lyme disease can cause so many neurological, psychiatric, or medical disorders, it has been called the “great imitator.” It can mimic symptoms of conditions, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, ADD/ADHD, and more. This is one of the reasons why Lyme disease remains largely underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. In the case of misdiagnosis, people may be treated with medications for conditions they don’t have. These treatments don’t help, and in some cases, they exacerbate problems or cause additional side effects.

GETTING A LYME DISEASE DIAGNOSIS

Lyme disease can be tricky to diagnose. Laboratory testing for the infectious disease typically includes 2 tests:

• ELISA: The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detects antibodies for the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria associated with Lyme disease.
• Western blot: This test also identifies antibodies to a number of proteins of burgdoferi.

These tests, however, can give false-positive or false-negative results. This is why additional testing, such as brain SPECT imaging, can help. SPECT scans of people with Lyme disease tend to show overall low blood flow and have a toxic appearance. At Amen Clinics, which has been using SPECT imaging for over 30 years, seeing these results on scans prompts psychiatrists or other integrative medicine physicians to investigate possible root causes.

TREATING LYME DISEASE

When diagnosed in its early stages, Lyme disease can often be successfully treated with antibiotics. Even in cases when the disease has taken hold and becomes chronic, it can be effectively treated. Targeting a comprehensive suite of solutions to the individual and their symptoms is key to finding a path to healing. Lyme disease and other infections associated with psychiatric and cognitive issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.