Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Aims: Specific aims of this study were to (1) compare and assess quality of life (QoL) scores in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with scores from healthy controls; and to (2) determine correlates between selected disease characteristics and QoL score in patients with MS. Materials and methods: We analyzed QoL in 62 patients with MS and 30 controls with health. QoL was assessed using the Functional Assessment of MS (FAMS). Disease severity was assessed according to the expanded disability severity scale (EDSS). Results: The QoL of controls was systematically higher than that of patients with MS. There was no significant of age or gender on the QoL total scale and subscale scores. There were significant effects of duration of disease for total score and fatigue subscale score of the FAMS. However, the correlation between the EDSS score and QoL scale total score and each subscale score was significant. The aspects of QoL that were mostly affected were fatigue and general contentment subscale. Conclusions: We found that MS had a great impact on QoL. FAMS showed that this could be a relevant measurement in assessing the effect of treatment and progression of disease.