Picturing the Multiple Sclerosis Patient Journey: A Symptomatic Overview

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Clinical Research
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) symptomology has historically been based on older patient cohorts.
• Modern MS diagnosis and treatment alter the disease's natural history and symptom presentation.
• Understanding contemporary MS symptoms is crucial for effective patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical symptoms experienced by a modern cohort of multiple sclerosis patients.
• To analyze symptom prevalence across different disease stages: pre-diagnosis, diagnosis, disease course, and current status.
• To compare symptom profiles among different subtypes of multiple sclerosis (RRMS, SPMS, PPMS).

Main Methods:

• Observational study with retrospective and cross-sectional elements.
• 163 patients meeting the 2017 revised McDonald criteria for MS completed a survey.
• Data collected included demographic information and detailed clinical symptoms.

Main Results:

• Pre-diagnosis: 74.2% experienced symptoms, primarily sensory issues, fatigue, and imbalance.
• At diagnosis: Sensory (46.6%) and motor (36.8%) complaints were most common.
• Symptom patterns varied by MS subtype: RRMS/SPMS (sensory, motor, imbalance), PPMS (motor, imbalance, genitourinary). Progressive forms showed higher fatigue and motor symptoms.

Conclusions:

• The study characterizes the current spectrum of multiple sclerosis symptoms in a contemporary patient population.
• Findings align with previous research, confirming persistent symptomology throughout the disease course.
• Symptom presentation differs significantly between relapsing-remitting and progressive MS forms.