Contributions
Abstract: EP1432
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - Economic burden
Background: Multiple Sclerosis causes a large spectrum of symptoms including motor, sensitive, cognitive and neuro-psychiatric difficulties. MS affects young and middle aged adults in the most productive and active stage of their life causing serious negative effects on work related issues and thus causing significant socioeconomic burden. However, the impact of the disease on workplace has not been studied at the initial stages of the disease, when motor deficits are not present.
Objectives: To study the work status, the perceived workplace difficulties and cognitive performance of patients with early MS and their impact on quality of life.
Methods: Patients were recruited from the outpatient MS clinic at the Raul Carrea Institute for Neurological Research (FLENI) by attending neurologists. Thirty-four relapsing-remitting MS patients, fulfilling 2017 McDonald criteria, with ≤ 2 years disease duration and scores ≤2 on EDSS, were included. Thirty subjects matched for age, gender, and educational level, recruited from a local volunteer group, served as controls. Both groups underwent complete neuropsychological evaluation (Rao BRB).Work Status was inquired (employed/unemployed), work place difficulties were assessed using the Multiple Sclerosis Work Difficulties Questionnaire (MSWD-23) and Quality of Life was assessed by the MusiQuol.
Results: Groups did not differ significantly in age, sex, educational level or in the neuropsychiatric scales that assessed depression, anxiety and apathy. Patients showed significant deficits in cognitive tests of verbal memory, executive functions and language (Rao BRB). Groups did not differ in their employment status (p=0.58). However, patients had greater work difficulties than controls reflected by the MSWDQ-23 total score (p = 0.002), the Psychological Barriers subscale (p=0.032), the Physical Barriers subscale (p=0.001), and the External Barriers subscale (p=0.009). Furthermore strong correlations were observed between the MSWDQ-23 and the evaluation of the quality of life (Musiquol) (r=0.75, p=0.000).
Conclusions: Patients with early MS present work related difficulties even when working status is still stable. These difficulties impact on patients quality of life and are probably the source of unemployment problems present in later stages of the disease. Early detection of work related difficulties may contribute to the design of employment protection policies for these patients.
Disclosure: Lucía Crivelli: nothing to disclose
Ismael L Calandri: nothing to disclose
Belen Helou: nothing to disclose
Laura Negrotto: nothing to disclose
Ricardo F. Allegri: nothing to disclose
María C. Ysrraelit: nothing to disclose
Marcela Fiol: nothing to disclose
Jorge Correale: nothing to disclose
Abstract: EP1432
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - Economic burden
Background: Multiple Sclerosis causes a large spectrum of symptoms including motor, sensitive, cognitive and neuro-psychiatric difficulties. MS affects young and middle aged adults in the most productive and active stage of their life causing serious negative effects on work related issues and thus causing significant socioeconomic burden. However, the impact of the disease on workplace has not been studied at the initial stages of the disease, when motor deficits are not present.
Objectives: To study the work status, the perceived workplace difficulties and cognitive performance of patients with early MS and their impact on quality of life.
Methods: Patients were recruited from the outpatient MS clinic at the Raul Carrea Institute for Neurological Research (FLENI) by attending neurologists. Thirty-four relapsing-remitting MS patients, fulfilling 2017 McDonald criteria, with ≤ 2 years disease duration and scores ≤2 on EDSS, were included. Thirty subjects matched for age, gender, and educational level, recruited from a local volunteer group, served as controls. Both groups underwent complete neuropsychological evaluation (Rao BRB).Work Status was inquired (employed/unemployed), work place difficulties were assessed using the Multiple Sclerosis Work Difficulties Questionnaire (MSWD-23) and Quality of Life was assessed by the MusiQuol.
Results: Groups did not differ significantly in age, sex, educational level or in the neuropsychiatric scales that assessed depression, anxiety and apathy. Patients showed significant deficits in cognitive tests of verbal memory, executive functions and language (Rao BRB). Groups did not differ in their employment status (p=0.58). However, patients had greater work difficulties than controls reflected by the MSWDQ-23 total score (p = 0.002), the Psychological Barriers subscale (p=0.032), the Physical Barriers subscale (p=0.001), and the External Barriers subscale (p=0.009). Furthermore strong correlations were observed between the MSWDQ-23 and the evaluation of the quality of life (Musiquol) (r=0.75, p=0.000).
Conclusions: Patients with early MS present work related difficulties even when working status is still stable. These difficulties impact on patients quality of life and are probably the source of unemployment problems present in later stages of the disease. Early detection of work related difficulties may contribute to the design of employment protection policies for these patients.
Disclosure: Lucía Crivelli: nothing to disclose
Ismael L Calandri: nothing to disclose
Belen Helou: nothing to disclose
Laura Negrotto: nothing to disclose
Ricardo F. Allegri: nothing to disclose
María C. Ysrraelit: nothing to disclose
Marcela Fiol: nothing to disclose
Jorge Correale: nothing to disclose