Background: Depression, sleep disturbances and anxiety may affect almost half of the population of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and they are major determinants of poor quality of life in young adults. The aim of our study was to assess their incidence in patients with MS in Poland, and whether they change during longitudinal observation in routine clinical practice.
Subjects and methods: We included 53 consecutive patients with relapsing-remitting form of MS in this prospective study, who were treated in our department. All patients were examined at the entry to the study and after at least three or more years after study start with 4 standardized questionnaires and clinical scales that were validated in Polish patients: Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). The data from the two time-points were compared.
Results: At the entry to the study daytime sleepiness, nighttime insomnia, depression episodes and anxiety were observed in 11.3%, 13.2%, 11.3% and 28.3% of patients, respectively. At the end of the study higher proportion of patients reported any form of drowsiness, depression, insomnia or anxiety, however, the differences were not statistically significant. Except for anxiety, higher proportion of patients reported definite disorders, with the rise from 3.8% to 13.2% having depression and rise from 9.4% to 15.1% having insomnia. Moderate or pathological drowsiness was not reported initially, but it was reported in 5% and 2.5% patients, respectively, at the study end.
Conclusions: The incidence of sleep and mood disturbances in polish patients with MS is quite high, and it is comparable to other studies in patients with MS. Possible mood changes or sleep disturbances in individual patients should be routinely monitored by clinicians.