Depression and fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Inconsistent findings exist regarding depression and fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS).
• This study investigates the relationship between depression and fatigue in a large MS cohort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore associations between overall and subscale scores of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS).
• To examine longitudinal changes in depression and fatigue scores in MS patients.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of patient-reported outcome measures (CES-D and MFIS) from 435 MS subjects.
• Pearson's correlation coefficient used to assess baseline associations between CES-D and MFIS.
• Linear mixed models employed to estimate longitudinal changes and their associations.

Main Results:

• High correlation (r=0.62) observed between total CES-D and MFIS scores at baseline.
• Significant correlations found between CES-D subscales (somatic, retarded activity) and MFIS subscales (r≥0.60).
• Moderate correlation (r=0.49) in longitudinal changes of total scores over the first year.
• Subjects with high fatigue and low depression at baseline showed increased risk of developing depression at follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Depression and fatigue in MS share common features and exhibit similar longitudinal trajectories.
• High fatigue in non-depressed MS patients may indicate a heightened risk for future depression.