Symptomatology and symptomatic treatment in multiple sclerosis: Results from a nationwide MS registry

Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease. Over time, symptoms accumulate leading to increased disability of patients. Objective: The objective of this article is to analyze the prevalence of symptoms and symptomatic treatment patterns in a nationwide MS registry. Methods: Data sets from 35,755 patients were analyzed. Results: More than two-thirds of patients were women with a mean age of 46.1 (±12.8) years. Median Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) was 3.0. The most frequently reported symptoms were fatigue, spasticity, and voiding disorders. In patients with short disease duration, fatigue was reported most frequently. Symptomatic treatment was most common for spasticity and depression, whereas fatigue was treated only in a third of affected patients. Almost a fifth of patients with EDSS ⩽ 3.5 and neuropsychological symptoms had retired from work. Conclusion: Whereas treatment for spasticity and depression is common in our cohort, sexual dysfunction, dysphagia, cognitive dysfunction, and fatigue are treated to a far lesser extent. The need for psychological support, physical, and occupational therapy has to be recognized as neuropsychological symptoms have a great impact on retirement at an early stage. Overall symptomatic treatment rates for the most common symptoms have increased over the last years ( p < 0.001).