Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. MS can be related to neuropsychiatric disorders. However, behavioural aspects of MS are rarely explored. The aim of our study was to investigate functional and dysfunctional impulsivity in MS and the factors that may influence it.
This was a cross-sectional study conducted between Mars and September 2019 at the MS Center of Neurology in Razi Hospital Mannouba. Patients diagnosed with relapsing MS according to Mc Donald criteria filled FIDI scale for impulsivity evaluation, Beck inventory to measure depression and EMIF scale to investigate fatigue.
Sixty patients were recruited: 47 women, 13 men. The mean age was 38 years. The median EDSS score was 2.6. Mean disease duration in months was 111.6. The mean number of relapses was 6 and the mean delay in treatment initiation was 44.4 months. The mean score of functional impulsivity (FI) was 5.2 and the mean score of dysfunctional impulsivity was 5.2. The mean Beck score was 13.7 and the mean EMIF score was 104. There was no significant difference between men and women on FI (p=0,772) or DI (p=0,16). There was no correlation between the number of relapses, the disease duration and the delay in treatment initiation on functional or dysfunctional impulsivity in MS. There was a negative correlation between FI and EMIF score (p=0,007; r= − 0,359) and a positive correlation between DI and depression (p=0,017; r= 0,350).
Disease duration, number of relapses and mean delay in treatment initiation do not seem to affect functional nor dysfunctional impulsivity in MS. The fatigue seems to decrease functional impulsivity while depression seems to increase dysfunctional impulsivity in MS.
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© 2019 Published by Elsevier Inc.
