Determinants of Disability in Progressive Onset Multiple Sclerosis

To describe the clinical and socio-demographic profiles of the patients with the progressive onset Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and to explore the determinants of disability.

This is a retrospective study, which was conducted in a university hospital. Patients with a progressive clinical course at onset were included in the study. In the first analysis, the clinical and demographic properties of the cohort were defined. In the second analysis the effects of age, sex, clinical activity during course, initial clinical symptoms and cerebrospinal fluid analyses on the course were evaluated.

Clinical activity during the course, older age, male gender, medulla spinalis involvement at onset and detection of paraparesis at initial neurological examination was found as a poor prognostic factor.

This research confirms previous findings of the studies conducted in populations of Europe and America. Further studies are needed to confirm and validate these findings and to provide greater insight into the effects of ethnic or geographical differences on the course.