Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026
11:35
The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test (MSPT): An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool
Published on: June 30, 2014
Impaired body image in patients with multiple sclerosis
N Pfaffenberger1, S Gutweniger, M Kopp
1Center of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Department of General and Social Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
|January 5, 2011
Summary
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience significant body image disturbances, including worries about physical deficits and sexual problems, even with mild disability. Gender-specific differences in body image concerns are notable in MS patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neurology
Background:
- Body image disturbances are common in chronically ill patients.
- Research on body image in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess body image disturbances in MS patients.
- To examine the influence of disability status and depressive symptoms on body image in MS.
Main Methods:
- Compared 40 MS patients with 28 healthy controls.
- Utilized questionnaires for attractiveness, self-confidence, appearance concerns, physical deficits, sexual problems, vitality, and depression.
- Assessed expanded disability status scale in MS patients.
Main Results:
- MS patients reported significantly higher worries about physical deficits compared to controls.
- MS patients exhibited worse body appraisal and more sexual problems.
- Female MS patients focused on physical deficits and attractiveness; males on sexual problems.
Conclusions:
- Mildly impaired MS patients, even without marked depression, face body image challenges.
- Addressing gender-specific differences in body image perception is crucial for MS patient care.
- Future psychological research should focus on improving body image in MS patients.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...
01:28Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain, an unrelenting pursuit of thinness, and a distorted body image. It often leads to dangerously low body weight relative to an individual's age and height. This disorder is marked by significant physical and psychological consequences, making it one of the most life-threatening psychiatric illnesses.
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
01:30Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by a cyclical pattern of binge-and-purge eating pattern. It generally involves an episode of binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, excessive exercise, laxative use, or fasting, to prevent weight gain. Despite often maintaining a normal weight, individuals with bulimia are intensely preoccupied with their body image and harbor an overwhelming fear of gaining weight. This can contribute to the...
01:11Alterations in Muscle Tone lll
Rigidity and myotonia are distinct abnormalities of muscle tone that affect resistance and relaxation during movement. Although both involve altered muscle contraction, they arise from different neurological and muscular mechanisms.CharacteristicsRigidity is characterized by uniform resistance to passive movement across the entire range, independent of speed, affecting flexors and extensors equally. It may appear as lead-pipe rigidity (smooth, constant resistance) or cogwheel rigidity...
01:30Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia indicate a reduction or absence of typical behaviors and emotional responses found in healthy individuals, while positive symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning.
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...