Few studies have investigated personality characteristics in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and little is known about the relationship between personality and clinical characteristics in these patients. We aimed to investigate the personality traits of MS patients and their relationship with clinical characteristics. The study population consisted of 74 MS patients and age-matched, sex-matched, and education level-matched healthy controls. All participants were instructed to complete the self-administered 240-item Temperament and Character Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory. The MS patients exhibited higher harm avoidance (HA) and lower self-directedness scores than the control group, although these differences disappeared after controlling for depression. Duration of the disease was positively correlated with HA and negatively correlated with novelty-seeking scores. Expanded Disability Status Scale scores were negatively correlated with reward dependence. Our results suggest a possible relationship between personality characteristics and the stage of the disease or the degree of damage in MS patients.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has been associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD). The purpose of this study was to determine the possible factors affecting BMD in patients with MS. We included consecutive 155 patients with MS and 90 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Patients with MS exhibited significantly lower T-scores and Z-scores in the femoral neck and trochanter compared to the controls. Ninety-four (61%) patients had reduced bone mass in either the lumbar spine or the femoral neck; of these, 64 (41.3%) had osteopenia and 30 (19.4%) had osteoporosis. The main factors affecting BMD were disability, duration of MS, and smoking. There was a negative relationship between femoral BMD and EDSS and disease duration. No association with lumbar BMD was determined. There were no correlations between BMD at any anatomic region and cumulative corticosteroid dose. BMD is significantly lower in patients with MS than in healthy controls. Reduced BMD in MS is mainly associated with disability and duration of the disease. Short courses of high dose steroid therapy did not result in an obvious negative impact on BMD in the lumbar spine and femoral neck in patients with MS.

Background and PurposeRestless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sleep-related movement disorder that is frequently associated with psychological disturbances. Personality traits are of considerable importance with respect to coping with chronic illness and disease vulnerability. This study assessed the temperament and character traits of RLS patients using an approach that involves the psychobiological model of personality.MethodsThe personality features of 65 newly diagnosed and untreated RLS patients with no neurological or psychiatric diseases and 109 healthy controls were determined using the Temperament and Character Inventory and compared using covariance analyses. The International RLS Study Group Severity Scale was used to assess the severity of the RLS symptoms, and the Beck Depression Inventory was used to assess the presence and severity of depressive symptoms.ResultsRLS patients scored significantly higher than healthy controls on the temperament dimension of harm avoidance (HA, p=0.02) and significantly lower on self-directedness (SD, p=0.001). No significant difference was observed in terms of the temperament dimension of novelty seeking (p=0.435). HA scores were significantly correlated with the BDI score but not with the RLS severity or duration.ConclusionsHigh HA and low SD scores are the main characterizing personality features of RLS patients. These personality dimensions may be among the factors predisposing patients to development of the depressive symptoms that are frequently associated with RLS.

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