title: Depressive Symptoms Correlate with Disability and Disease Course in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: An Italian Multi-Center Study Using the Beck Depression Inventory.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression occurs in about 50% of patients with multiple sclerosis. The aims of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in a multicenter MS population using the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI II) and to identify possible correlations between the BDI II score and demographic and clinical variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected in a multi-center, cross-sectional study over a period of six months in six MS centers in Italy using BDI II.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1,011 MS patients participated in the study. 676 subjects were female, with a mean age of 34 years (SD 10.8), mean EDSS of 3.3 (0-8.5) and mean disease duration of 10.3 years (range 1-50 years). 668 (%) subjects scored lower than 14 on the BDI II and 343 (33.9%) scored greater than 14 (14 cut-off score). For patients with BDI>14 multivariate analysis showed a significant difference between EDSS and disease course. BDI II scores for subjects with secondary progressive (SP) MS were significantly different from primary progressive (PP) patients (p < 0.001) but similar to relapsing-remitting (RR) patients. Considering subjects with moderate to severe depressive symptoms (BDI II score from 20-63), in relation to disease course, 11.7% (83/710) had RR MS, 40.7% (96/236) SP and 13.6% (6/44) PP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using the BDI II, 30% of the current sample had depressive symptoms. BDI II score correlates with disability and disease course, particularly in subjects with SP MS. The BDI II scale can be a useful tool in clinical practice to screen depressive symptoms in people with MS.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Head and Neck Dept., ASL 3 "Genovese", Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Solaro
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Head and Neck Dept., ASL 3 "Genovese", Genoa, Italy.|Dep. of Experimental Medicine, Section of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trabucco
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Health Sciences, Section of Biostatistics, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Signori
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radaelli
authors.affiliation: Neurology Clinic, Dept. of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome & IRCCS Neuromed, Rome, Italy.|Neurology Clinic, Dept. of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome & Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, IRCCS, Pozzilli, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Centonze
authors.affiliation: Neurology Clinic, Dept. of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome & IRCCS Neuromed, Rome, Italy.|Neurology Clinic, Dept. of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome & Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, IRCCS, Pozzilli, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Grasso
authors.affiliation: Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clemenzi
authors.affiliation: Neurology Clinic, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonavita
authors.affiliation: Neurology Clinic, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Ambrosio
authors.affiliation: Department DANA, "GF Ingrassia", Neuroscience Section (Multiple Sclerosis Centre), University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Patti
authors.affiliation: Department DANA, "GF Ingrassia", Neuroscience Section (Multiple Sclerosis Centre), University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Rome-La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cruccu
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Rome-La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Truini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult