Roya Abolfazli; Azam Elyasi; Mohammad Reza Javadi; Kheirollah Gholami; Hassan Torkamandi; Mohammad Amir-Shahkarami; Masoud Etemadifar; Zahra Nasr
Volume 13, Issue 3 , September 2014, , Pages 160-167
Abstract
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients permanently confronted with serious challenges from treatment regimen. Developing a new questionnaire in MS management, through evaluation of patients’ perspectives and knowledge regarding treatment will help to identify ...
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Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients permanently confronted with serious challenges from treatment regimen. Developing a new questionnaire in MS management, through evaluation of patients’ perspectives and knowledge regarding treatment will help to identify the sources of tension, and to build a therapeutic alliance. We purposed to describe MS patients’ understanding of their treatments.Methods: About 425 completed and returned questionnaire were assessed of a total of 500 recruited MS patients. The knowledge of correct using interferon-beta (IFN-β) and attitude toward medical care were assessed using self- reported questionnaires consisted of 25 items with validity of multidisciplinary panel and pre-testing on 20 patients.Results: Knowledge about IFN-β therapy was very low; however, attitude was at a high level. Female patients, self- injection ability, higher educational level, normal functional status, delay from the start of diagnostic workup to definite diagnosis, and being younger were related to a higher level of knowledge. Attitude was associated with functional status, family history of disease and the summary of knowledge variable.Conclusion: Developing educational interventions are needed for MS patients regarding to their low levels of knowledge.
Masoud Etemadifar; Farshid Afshar; Zahra Nasr; Mohsen Kheradmand
Volume 13, Issue 2 , June 2014, , Pages 88-93
Abstract
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system. Except tremor, other movement disorders such as Parkinsonism are less frequent in MS. However, some investigations have shown inflammatory and autoimmune aspects of Parkinson’s ...
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Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system. Except tremor, other movement disorders such as Parkinsonism are less frequent in MS. However, some investigations have shown inflammatory and autoimmune aspects of Parkinson’s disease. In this study, we report eight new cases of MS who present Parkinson’s disease.Methods: This retrospective population-based study was carried out on Isfahan MS society between April 2003 and July 2012. A total of 3792 patients with MS were surveyed for Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease was approved according to “UK Parkinson disease Brain Bank” criteria. Eligible cases were invited to have an interview with a neurologist. MRI was carried out according to the baseline.Results: We identified eight patients (three men and five women) who present MS and Parkinson’s disease. The mean (±SD) age of onset was 33.3 ± 6.5 (range: 24–42) years for MS and 39.5 ± 8. (range: 30–55) years for Parkinson’s disease patients. In all patients, MS was preceded Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease was developed within mean duration of 6.1 ± 3.4 (range 2–13) years after MS. Focal lesions was shown in six cases, lesions of basal ganglia (BG) in four, lesions of the thalamus in two and lesions of mid-brain in five of cases. In four cases, Parkinsonism occurred before age 40 that is considered as Young-Onset Parkinson’s disease.Conclusion: We reported eight patients with MS and Parkinson’s disease. To the best of our knowledge, 34 cases of Parkinsonism associating with MS are reported so far. Parkinsonism is a movement disorder, defines as deep gray matter disorder which lead to dopamine deficiency in BG.Investigations have shown that MS could affect deep gray matter structures. Demyelinated lesions in MS and consequence axonal loss in BG and/or nigrostriatal pathway may be responsible for Parki sonism manifestations in such cases.
Mojtaba Azimian; Azam Shahvarughi-Farahani; Mahdi Rahgozar; Masoud Etemadifar; Zahra Nasr
Volume 13, Issue 2 , June 2014, , Pages 105-107
Abstract
Background: Fatigue, depression, and physical impairment are common among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between depression, physical impairment, and fatigue in an Iranian MS cohort.Methods: Fifty consecutive relapsing-remitting ...
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Background: Fatigue, depression, and physical impairment are common among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between depression, physical impairment, and fatigue in an Iranian MS cohort.Methods: Fifty consecutive relapsing-remitting MS patients and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited from Sina Rehabilitation Clinic,Tehran, ran. The depression substance of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Expended Disability Status Scale, and Fatigue Severity Scale questionnaires were used to assess depression, physical impairment, and fatigue, respectively.Results: This study included 38 (76%) females and 12 (24%) males in both patients and HC groups. The depression substance of the HADS in MS and HCs showed a mean value of 1.92 ± 0.80 and 1.17 ± 0.38, respectively (P < 0.001). Pearson’s correlation analyses showed that in the MS group depression was associatedwith fatigue (r = 0.54, P = 0.01), but not with physical impairment (r = 0.16, p = 0.01),while fatigue was associated with both depression (r = 0.54, P = 0.01) and physical impairment (r = 0.36, P = 0.01). Depression in HCs group was also associated with fatigue (r -0.64, P = 0.01).Conclusion: Fatigue is associated with both depression and physical impairment, and an intervention in one of these conditions might improve others.
Masoud Etemadifar; Noushin Mehrbod; Leila Dehghani; Aryan Golabbakhsh; Mahboobeh Fereidan-Esfahani; Mojtaba Akbari; Zahra Nasr
Volume 13, Issue 1 , March 2014, , Pages 50-51
