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Long-term emotional state of multiple sclerosis patients treated with interferon beta

Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain, jporcel{at}vhebron.net

J Río

Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

A Sánchez-Betancourt

Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

M J Arévalo

Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

M Tintoré

Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

N Téllez

Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

C Borràs

Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

C Nos

Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

X Montalbán

Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

Objective: To assess the long-term emotional state of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with interferon beta (IFNß) for at least four years.

Methods: Patients who had started IFNß therapy prior to 2000 with a baseline psychological assessment were identified and scheduled for long-term emotional assessment with the following questionnaires-the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

Results: A total of 262 patients started IFNß therapy in our MS clinic within the period 1995-1999. Baseline emotional assessment was available from 246 MS patients. Long-term assessment was conducted on 234 patients. After a mean follow-up of 65 months (43-98), 52 patients (22.3%) had withdrawn from IFNß therapy. The comparisons, obtained from baseline and follow-up scores, showed an improvement in the depressive and anxiety symptoms of patients who adhered to IFNß treatment. Logistic regression analysis indicated that an increase in physical disability and the presence of depressive symptoms at baseline were best predictors for long-term depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: The present results support the absence of emotional worsening in MS patients treated with IFNß for a long period of time. Increased disability and the presence of baseline depressive symptoms predicted the presence of depressive symptoms at follow-up.

Key Words: depressive symptoms • follow-up • interferon beta • multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 12, No. 6, 802-807 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1352458506070748


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