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Multiple Sclerosis, Gender, and Disorders of Behavior

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Health Issues in Women with Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with a wide array of behavioral disorders that may be grouped into two broad categories, namely, those affecting cognition on the one hand and mood and affect on the other. Very little research has been specifically devoted to how gender may impact these conditions. When gender is discussed, it is largely in passing, as just one more variable in a lengthy list of factors that may, or may not, be associated with a particular disorder that is the focus of the researchers’ attention. The fact that gender has been largely bypassed in this fashion, however, should not obscure its potential importance, primarily as a modifier of psychopathology and cognition. This chapter will therefore provide an overview of disorders of cognition, mood, and affect in people with MS and, where relevant, highlight their associations with gender.

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Correspondence to Anthony Feinstein PhD, MD .

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Feinstein, A., Pavisian, B. (2017). Multiple Sclerosis, Gender, and Disorders of Behavior. In: Houtchens, M., Sadovnick, A. (eds) Health Issues in Women with Multiple Sclerosis. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-4858-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-4858-7_9

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