title: Determinants of quality of life in Brazilian patients with myasthenia gravis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of the current study were 1) to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Brazilian version of the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life Scale and 2) to investigate the quality of life of Brazilian patients with myasthenia gravis and its determinants.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study included 69 patients with myasthenia gravis who underwent neurological evaluation and completed questionnaires regarding quality of life (the 36-item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study and the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life Scale), anxiety and depressive symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Brazilian version of the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life Scale showed high internal consistency and good concurrent validity with the 36-item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study and its subscales. Determinants of quality of life in Brazilian patients with myasthenia gravis included the current status of myasthenia gravis as assessed by the Myasthenia Gravis Composite, the current prednisone dose and the levels of anxiety and depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Brazilian version of the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life Scale is a valid instrument. Symptom severity, prednisone dosage and anxiety and depression levels impact the quality of life of patients with myasthenia gravis.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Hospital Universitário, Unidade de Neurologia, Clinica Neuromuscular.|Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Belo Horizonte/MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline Mansueto
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mourão
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Hospital Universitário, Unidade de Neurologia, Clinica Neuromuscular.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Santiago
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Hospital Universitário, Unidade de Neurologia, Clinica Neuromuscular.
authors.forename: Luiz Sergio Mageste
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Hospital Universitário, Unidade de Neurologia, Clinica Neuromuscular.
authors.forename: Denise da Silva
authors.initials: Dda S
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Hospital Universitário, Unidade de Neurologia, Clinica Neuromuscular.
authors.forename: Elizabeth Regina
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Comini-Frota
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Belo Horizonte/MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kummer
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Belo Horizonte/MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Stella Maris Aguiar
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Hospital Universitário, Unidade de Neurologia, Clinica Neuromuscular.|Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Belo Horizonte/MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio Lucio
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult