The Influence of Psychodrama in Cognition and Social Skills in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory, chronic, autoimmune, central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disease, where the non-brain inflammatory process can cause functional diseases according to the location of lesions in the myelin sheath. Cognitive dysfunction in MS can lead to deficits in memory, attention, speed of information processing, and executive functions that impact how a person behaves in the middle and performs a delivery of social skills.  

Objectives: To analyze the influence of the psychodrama technique on the cognition and social skills of MS patients. 

Methods: A social skills check and a level of attention are measured through psychological testing. A Concentrated attention test - D2, with a beginning and end of the group process, between August and December of 2016, with 15 weekly meetings of 2 hours duration, with interventions based on psychodrama technique. The group is composed of 9 patients with MS, from the Civil Social Organization in São Paulo, 4 males and 5 females, aged between 34 and 54 years. 

Results: Five patients were given. The IHS shows the improvement in the indices that evaluate as coping characteristics, all the evaluated values do not have social repertoire for the confrontation; in expression of positive feeling the improvement occurred in 3 patients, in social development and self-exposure 3 patients presented improvement, for Self-control 4 Patients presented improvement. Regarding the speed of cognitive processing and focused attention, 3 patients presented increased indexes and 2 did not show any changes. There were improvements in the indices that evaluate errors during the execution of the test in 2 patients, 1 remained unchanged and 3 presented improvement no index that evaluates oscillation during execution. Discussion: The technique applied to patients or development of social skills characteristics. It is assumed that this contribution to behavioral control and cognitive maintenance, based on 60% of the patients, showed improvement in concentrated attention and processing speed.  

Conclusions: At the end of activities to control the increase in coping characteristics in 100% of the patients and 60% presented significant improvement in attention.