title: Characterizing the phenotype of multiple sclerosis-associated depression in comparison with idiopathic major depression.
abstract: Depression is a common co-morbidity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). While somatic symptoms of MS correlate with depression levels, it is unclear whether the clinical presentation of MS-associated depression differs from patients with "idiopathic" major depressive disorder (MDD).
  
  
  
  To compare the clinical phenotype of depression among MS and idiopathic MDD patients.
  
  
  
  Mean relative contribution of individual Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) items was evaluated among n = 139 patients with relapsing-remitting MS and n = 85 MDD patients without somatic illness. Next, comparisons were repeated in n = 38 MS with clinically relevant depressive symptoms (BDI-II > 19) and n = 38 MDD patients matched for sex, age, and depression severity. Finally, the underlying construct of depression was compared across groups using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
  
  
  
  Comparisons on a whole-group level produced the expected differences along somatic/non-somatic symptoms. However, when appropriately controlling for depression severity, age, and sex, only four items contributed differentially to BDI-II total scores in MS versus MDD. CFA suggested that the underlying depression construct is essentially identical in both groups.
  
  
  
  The clinical phenotype of "idiopathic" MDD and MS-associated depression appears similar when adequately examined. The relevance of these findings for psychotherapeutic approaches for MS-associated depression should be explored in future studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany/NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hasselmann
authors.affiliation: NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany/Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bellmann-Strobl
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ricken
authors.affiliation: NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Timm
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oberwahrenbrock
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychosomatic Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Otte
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany/Fliedner Klinik Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Mazda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adli
authors.affiliation: NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany/Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany/Clinical and Experimental Multiple Sclerosis Research Center, Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Friedemann
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany/Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Finke
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany/Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis (INIMS), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany stefan.gold@charite.de.
authors.forename: Stefan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gold
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Depression; multiple sclerosis