Symptomatology and symptomatic treatment in multiple sclerosis : Results from a nationwide MS registry

ORCID
0000-0001-5209-6647
Zugehörige Organisation
Department of Neurology, Neuroimmunological Section, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany/Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Rommer, Paulus Stefan;
Zugehörige Organisation
MS Forschungs- und Projektentwicklungs-gGmbH, Hannover, Germany
Eichstädt, Kerstin;
Zugehörige Organisation
Department of Medical Statistics, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
Ellenberger, David;
GND
1202481507
Zugehörige Organisation
Neurological Rehabilitation Center Quellenhof, Bad Wildbad, Germany
Flachenecker, Peter;
GND
123130999
ORCID
0000-0001-5347-7441
Zugehörige Organisation
Department of Medical Statistics, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
Friede, Tim;
GND
108679659
Zugehörige Organisation
MS-Center, Jewish Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Haas, Judith;
GND
123343909
ORCID
0000-0002-1650-8875
LSF
58465
Zugehörige Organisation
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
Kleinschnitz, Christoph;
GND
122330285
Zugehörige Organisation
Department of Neurology, German Red Cross—Kamillus-Clinic, Asbach, Germany
Pöhlau, Dieter;
GND
1031335137
Zugehörige Organisation
Department of Medical Informatics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
Rienhoff, Otto;
Zugehörige Organisation
MS Forschungs- und Projektentwicklungs-gGmbH, Hannover, Germany
Stahmann, Alexander;
GND
120760819
Zugehörige Organisation
Department of Neurology, Neuroimmunological Section, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
Zettl, Uwe K.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease. Over time, symptoms accumulate leading to increased disability of patients.

Objective: The objective of this article is to analyze the prevalence of symptoms and symptomatic treatment patterns in a nationwide MS registry.

Methods: Data sets from 35,755 patients were analyzed.

Results: More than two-thirds of patients were women with a mean age of 46.1 (±12.8) years. Median Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) was 3.0. The most frequently reported symptoms were fatigue, spasticity, and voiding disorders. In patients with short disease duration, fatigue was reported most frequently. Symptomatic treatment was most common for spasticity and depression, whereas fatigue was treated only in a third of affected patients. Almost a fifth of patients with EDSS ⩽ 3.5 and neuropsychological symptoms had retired from work.

Conclusion: Whereas treatment for spasticity and depression is common in our cohort, sexual dysfunction, dysphagia, cognitive dysfunction, and fatigue are treated to a far lesser extent. The need for psychological support, physical, and occupational therapy has to be recognized as neuropsychological symptoms have a great impact on retirement at an early stage. Overall symptomatic treatment rates for the most common symptoms have increased over the last years ( p  < 0.001).

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© The Author(s), 2018

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