The Correlation Between The Expanded Disability Status Scale Functional Systems and Health Related Quality of Life: Analysis of 183 Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Abstract

Background: Within the ast 20 years health related quality of life (HRQOL) instruments have become increasingly popular as end point tools in clinical studies for measuring patient-assessed health status. Objectives: The aims of the present study were; to investigate the impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), to determine the correlation between HRQOL and clinical status on the base of EDSS, and to estimate the extent to which variation in the EDSS scores and functional systems (FS) scores can explain the variation in quality of life scores. Material and Methods: We used the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life (MSQOL)-54 instruments as the quantitative measeure of HRQOL. Each patient was given the MSQOL-54 questionnaire. 783 patients out of 232 participated in the study. Results: Both MSQOL-54 composite scores showed significant negative correlation with the duration of disease. The EDSS was significantly associated with both physical and mental health composite. Correlation between EDSS and mental health composite has not been previously reported. Pyramidal and cerebellar functional systems were associated with MSQOL-54. Sensory functional system was also significantly associated with physical health composite. Conclusion: Pyramidal and cerebellar functional impairments are the most important factors to have negative effects on HRQOL in MS, and sensory functonal impairment has a marked negative effect on physical health composite of HRQOL in MS.