NEUROCIRCULATORY ASTHENIA (ANXIETY NEUROSIS, EFFORT SYNDROME, NEURASTHENIA)

Abstract

Neurocirculatory asthenia (anxiety neurosis, effort syndrome, neurasthenia) is a common disorder, possibly occurring in 5 per cent of the population.¹Although it has been the subject of many reports, including recent ones from this laboratory emphasizing physiologic abnormalities,²there is little information in the literature concerning the course of the disorder in patients who have been followed for a period of years. Since there were available from the files of one of us (P. D. W.) records of many patients with such a diagnosis at least twenty years ago, it was possible to do a follow-up study, the purpose of which was to learn more about the course of neurocirculatory asthenia and the state of health of these patients over the years and, in addition, to learn some facts about their psychologic and social adjustment, the diseases they had and the number and manner of their deaths. METHODS