Abstract
Quality of Life (QoL) is decreased in multiple sclerosis (MS), but studies about the impact of sleep disorders (SD) on health-related quality of Life (HRQoL) are lacking. From our original cohort, a cross-sectional polysomnographic (PSG) study in consecutive MS patients, we retrospectively analysed the previously unpublished data of the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Those MS patients suffering from sleep disorders (n = 49) showed significantly lower HRQoL compared to MS patients without sleep disorders (n = 17). Subsequently, we classified the patients into four subgroups: insomnia (n = 17), restless-legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder and SD due to leg pain (n = 24), obstructive sleep apnea (n = 8) and patients without sleep disorder (n = 17). OSA and insomnia patients showed significantly higher NHP values and decreased HRQoL not only for the sleep subscale but also for the “energy” and “emotional” area of the NHP. In addition, OSA patients also showed increased NHP values in the “physical abilities” area. Interestingly, we did not find a correlation between the objective PSG parameters and the subjective sleep items of the NHP. However, this study demonstrates that sleep disorders can reduce HRQoL in MS patients and should be considered as an important confounder in all studies investigating HRQoL in MS.
Highlights
We published the results of a cross-sectional polysomnographic (PSG) study in consecutive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients [1]
MS patients suffering from sleep disorder (SD) showed significantly increased Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) values, indicating poorer health related Quality of Life (HRQoL) using the Mann–Whitney-U-test
We investigated the correlation between the NHP global score and the three subscales of the MFIS: a significant correlation was found between the global HRQoL (NHP values) and psychosocial aspects of fatigue, as well cognitive fatigue and physical fatigue: Table 7
Summary
We published the results of a cross-sectional polysomnographic (PSG) study in consecutive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients [1]. Of 66 patients who underwent PSG, 49 suffered from a sleep disorder (SD); seven of these suffered from more than one SD. In these cases we classified only the more severe SD. SDs were significantly related to fatigue; and a follow-up investigation showed that a consequent treatment of sleep disorders may improve fatigue in a subset of patients [2]. With regards to the relationship between health related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and SD in MS patients, there are only a few studies: Neau et al [4], as well as Sarraf et al [5], classified MS patients into good sleepers and poor sleepers using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [6] (PSQI)
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