World J Psychiatr. Oct 19, 2021; 11(10): 805-820 Published online Oct 19, 2021. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v11.i10.805
Connecting brain and body: Transdiagnostic relevance of connective tissue variants to neuropsychiatric symptom expression
Harriet Emma Clare Sharp, Hugo D Critchley, Jessica A Eccles
Harriet Emma Clare Sharp, Hugo D Critchley, Jessica A Eccles, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9PX, East Sussex, United Kingdom
Harriet Emma Clare Sharp, Hugo D Critchley, Jessica A Eccles, Department of Psychiatry, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Worthing, BN13 3EP, West Sussex, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Sharp HEC, Critchley HD and Eccles JA equally shaped the ideas and structure of this review; Sharp HEC searched the relevant literature and took the lead in writing the manuscript; Sharp HEC, Critchley HD and Eccles JA provided full input to and critical feedback of the final manuscript; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Corresponding author: Hugo D Critchley, DPhil, MBChB, Professor, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9PX, East Sussex, United Kingdom. h.critchley@bsms.ac.uk
Received: February 26, 2021 Peer-review started: February 26, 2021 First decision: April 20, 2021 Revised: May 12, 2021 Accepted: August 18, 2021 Article in press: August 18, 2021 Published online: October 19, 2021 Processing time: 230 Days and 19.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: The association between vulnerability to psychological or psychiatric symptoms and hypermobile joints may initially appear counterintuitive to many clinicians. However, a relationship with anxiety is consistently confirmed across multiple studies worldwide. In this narrative review, we appraise increasing evidence linking neuropsychiatric presentations to hypermobility across the lifespan, including emerging links to neurodevelopmental disorders and stress-sensitive medical conditions. We discuss pertinent mechanistic insights in the context of growing understanding of mind-body interactions. We offer direction for future research and highlight implications for clinical practice, notably roles of timely screening and detection alongside longer-term holistic management strategies.
