The Influence of Depression and Anxiety on Neurological Disability in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Abstract

<jats:p>Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), affecting mostly young-aged people. As a chronic incurable disease, in most cases, it can lead to progressive neurological impairment and severe disability. Depression and anxiety are major distress factors for MS patients, being considerably aggravating elements for their functional capacity. In this study, we analysed the mood disorder distribution and the possible correlations between depression, anxiety, automatic negative thoughts, and MS disability. We took into consideration 146 MS patients, who completed a series of questionnaires: Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales-State (EMAS-S), and Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ). The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was used to measure the neurological disability. Of all patients, 30.1% had symptoms for depression and 11% presented suicidal thoughts. After analysing the correlation index between each variable, we found that there is a mild positive correlation between depression and the EDSS score and between anxiety and the EDSS score. A difference is found in the test scores according to the type of the MS disease. Also, automatic negative thoughts are strongly correlated with depression and anxiety, but do not mediate the path between psychological comorbidities and neurological impairment. Sociodemographic features and interferon-beta treatment were not related to the intensity of the mood disorders. The study suggests that depression and anxiety are frequently encountered among MS patients and these mental disfunctions have an impact on their disability. A proper identification of these risk factors may improve the quality of life for these patients.</jats:p>

Association of body mass index and physical activity with fatigue, depression, and anxiety among Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis

“…There is a hypothesis on the interrelationship between anxiety, fatigue, and depression among MS patients. Anxiety is a powerful factor in the development of depression among MS patients, and it is recommended for the initial assessment of anxiety to prevent and diagnose depression ( 36 ). In addition, it seems that depression is highly correlated with some other comorbidities of MS, including fatigue; thus, successful treatment of depression could result in a reduction in fatigue in patients with MS ( 35 ).…”

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with multiple sclerosis

“…Ninety-five PwMS whose depression, anxiety, and EDSS scores were evaluated in our previous examination ( Văcăraș et al., 2020 ), agreed to participate in the second study. In our previous work, before the pandemic outbreak, a total of 146 PwMS were included, with a median age of 40 years, in May-December 2016.…”

“…The aims of this study were to determine the level of different psychological aspects (depression, anxiety, stress) in the MS population during the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare the results to the same group of patients 6 years before, mentioned in our previous study ( Văcăraș et al., 2020 ). During the pandemic, we aim to characterize the depression and anxiety levels, to identify the relationship between the psychological test results and socio-demographic features, between the psychological test results and neurological disability, and between socio-demographic features and neurological disability.…”

After 55 Years of Neurorehabilitation, What Is the Plan?

“…Patients presenting those concomitant pathologies would have an increased risk of mortality, a higher risk of suicidality, increased cognitive impairment, increased risk of falls, increased hospitalization costs, a poorer quality of life, and decreased daily functioning and social interactions [ 47 , 48 ]. Additionally, the results of several studies suggest that those symptoms can directly have a negative impact on the neurological deficits leading to significant deterioration of the functional status of the patient [ 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 ]. However, psychiatric disorders may go unnoticed and have a significant influence on motivation and hence on the rehabilitation process.…”

“…The prevalence of anxiety disorders in multiple sclerosis is estimated to be around 30%, three times higher than in the general population. In these patients, the most common forms are generalized anxiety disorder (~18%), panic disorder (~10%), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (~9%) [ 54 ]. Anxiety disorders occur in approximately 25–35% of Parkinson’s patients.…”