title: Health related quality of life in patients recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a representative population of patients recently diagnosed with MS in terms of both motor and non-motor disability. In particular we wanted to examine the HRQoL in this population to get a better understanding of what impact various clinical features have on the patients' experience of distress in the early phase of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety three patients diagnosed with MS in Hordaland and Rogaland county in 1998-2000 and 96 healthy controls were examined through questionnaires on HRQoL (SF-36), depression (Beck's depression inventory), fatigue (fatigue severity scale) and apathy (Starkstein's apathy scale). The patients also underwent neurological examination including the expanded disability status scale and the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, as well as the symbol digit memory test and the selective reminder test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with MS reported a lower HRQoL than the controls with a mean physical health summary score of 57.3 compared to 84.5 (P < 0.001), and a mental health summary score of 66.4 vs 79.2 (P < 0.001). The controls scored significantly higher on all SF-36 sub scores except for bodily pain. The incidence of fatigue was 71% in patients compared to 27% in controls (P < 0.001), whereas 46% of patients vs 18% of controls reported depression (P < 0.001). The mean score for apathy was significantly higher among patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with recently diagnosed MS reported significantly lower on both physical and mental aspects of HRQoL compared with controls. Depression, fatigue and apathy were more common and more severe in MS. We found no correlation between cognitive decline and HRQoL scores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway; Norwegian Centre of Movement Disorders, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klevan
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Aarseth
authors.forename: K-M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Myhr
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nyland
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Glad
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lode
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Figved
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farbu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D057565:Apathy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D063189:Symptom Assessment; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Multiple sclerosis; Quality of life