Continuing Research in the UK

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is definitely a worldwide condition, and research on EDS and similar other conditions is continuing in all parts of our world as the number of individuals diagnosed with connective tissue disorders grows exponentially.

I love sharing new research and recently found "Neural processes linking joint hypermobility and anxiety: key roles for the amygdala and insular cortex" after it was shared by the Ehlers-Danlos Support UK group on Facebook. In this article, coauthors Christina N. Kampoureli, Charlotte L. Rae, Cassandra Gould Van Praag, Neil A. Harrison, Sarah N. Garfinkel, Hugo D. Critchley, and Jessica A Eccles used a combination of the Brighton Criteria for hypermobility MRI images of both people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and a non-anxious control group.

For those who may not be familiar with the Brighton Criteria, it is a checklist of both diagnostic criteria such as the Beighton Score (yes, the two have similar but different spelling) to identify joint hypermobility and family history combined with other medical information on the individual to either rule out or increase the likelihood of a medical provider being able to diagnose a person with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) in the current environment where a genetic marker has not yet been identified. If you're interested in viewing this document and talking more with your doctor, a printable form of the Brighton Criteria can be found here.

Back to the new article - the research found the relationship between anxiety and hypermobility to be "amplified" and "stronger." While this is no surprise to a lot of us with hEDS diagnoses, it can help others who are seeking answers to what is going on with their bodies. The increase in any medical diagnosis comes with the increase of awareness, so please feel free to share this blog with anyone who may benefit from it. The article conclusion suggests a combination treatment that can both regulate of the amygdala and improve interoceptive precision can help people with co-existing anxiety and hypermobility. As always, more treatment options can lead to healthier patients, and less anxiety is better for everyone!

Here is a link to the full article. If it doesn't work by chance (I had issues using the link at first), go to the main University of Sussex website and search for the first portion of the article title: "Neural processes linking joint hypermobility and anxiety".