The effect of war stress on multiple sclerosis exacerbations and radiological disease activity

Abstract

Objective The relationship between stressful life events and multiple sclerosis (MS) exacerbations or radiological disease activity is at best controversial. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between exposure to war-related events incurred during the July 2006 Israeli–Lebanese war and clinical relapses and MRI disease activity among Lebanese MS patients. Methods We studied a group of 216 patients with clinically definite relapsing remitting MS (RRMS), on whom clinical data was available for the war period and for the preceding and following year(s). The number of relapses was determined during the war period and during similar periods over a 3-year span. All patients with brain MRI during the war period had their scans reviewed for evidence of disease activity as defined by the presence of gadolinium enhancing (Gd+) lesions. A group of patients with brain MRI performed outside the war period was used for comparison. Results The total number of relapses during the war period ( n = 23) was significantly higher than during non-war periods (mean = 8.4, SD = 0.86) ( p = 0.006). Of the 18 patients with brain MRI during the war, 5/7 with relapses and 1/11 without relapses had Gd+ lesions ( p = 0.013). More patients had Gd+ lesions during the war period (33%) compared to controls (13%) ( p = 0.075). Interpretation Our study shows that exposure to war-related events is likely to lead to an increase in both clinical relapses and MRI disease activity in patients with MS.