Quality of life in patients with focal dystonia.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to identify the clinical and demographic factors influencing health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and to compare HR-QoL measures between various types of focal dystonia (cervical dystonia, blepharospasm, and writer's cramp).


METHODS
We examined 157 consecutive patients with adult-onset primary focal dystonia, and HR-QoL was assessed by using the SF-36 questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed.


RESULTS
Patients with writer's cramp scored better in all SF-36 domains, except role functioning physical (RP), while these differences were statistically significant for physical functioning (PF) (p=0.020), bodily pain (BP) (p=0.001), and general health (GH) (p=0.004). Patients with writer's cramp and blepharospasm scored significantly better for BP (p=0.001) than patients with cervical dystonia. We found that each of the eight dimensions of SF-36 proved to be significantly correlated to the Hamilton depression rating scale score in patients with torticollis and blepharospasm, while vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), and mental health (MH) scales showed statistically significant correlations in patients with hand dystonia. Similar relationships were observed between anxiety and SF-36 domains.


CONCLUSIONS
Depression and anxiety are the most important predictors of poorer HR-QoL in patients with all three types of focal dystonia.
Pekmezovic
Tatjana
T
Institute of Neurology, Clinical Center of Serbia, str. Dr. Subotica 6A, Belgrade 11000, Serbia.
Svetel
Marina
M
Ivanovic
Natasa
N
Dragasevic
Natasa
N
Petrovic
Igor
I
Tepavcevic
Darija Kisic
DK
Kostic
Vladimir S
VS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001764:Blepharospasm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D020821:Dystonic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012917:Social Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014103:Torticollis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology