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Published in: Neurological Sciences 3/2022

01-03-2022 | Multiple Sclerosis | Original Article

The clinical and paraclinical correlates of employment status in multiple sclerosis

Authors: Barbora Srpova, Lukas Sobisek, Klara Novotna, Tomas Uher, Lucie Friedova, Manuela Vaneckova, Jan Krasensky, Eva Kubala Havrdova, Dana Horakova

Published in: Neurological Sciences | Issue 3/2022

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Abstract

Purpose

To identify the clinical and paraclinical markers of employment status in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods

This was a cross-sectional sub-study investigating 1226 MS patients. To minimalized confounding effect, two groups of patients, matched by sex, age, and education, were selected: 307 patients with full time employment and 153 unemployed patients receiving disability pension. We explored associations between employment status and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), 25 Foot Walk Test (25FWT), Nine Hole Peg Test (9HPT), Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS), Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), SLOAN charts (SLOAN), and brain volumetric MRI measures.

Results

Both groups differed significantly on all variables of interest (p < 0.001). In the univariate analyses, EDSS, SDMT (Symbol Digit Modalities Test) adjusted for BDI, 25FWT, and 9HPT best explained variability in vocational status. In multivariate analyses, the combination of EDSS, 25FWT, SDMT, BDI, and corpus callosum fraction (CCF) explained the greatest variability. As a next step, after patients were matched by EDSS, differences in SDMT, 25FWT (both p < 0.001), 9HPT, CCF, and T2 lesion volume were still present (all p < 0.005) between both groups. The best multivariate model consisted of SDMT, BDI, and T2 lesion volume.

Conclusions

EDSS, walking ability, cognitive performance, and MRI volumetric parameters are independently associated with employment status.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
The clinical and paraclinical correlates of employment status in multiple sclerosis
Authors
Barbora Srpova
Lukas Sobisek
Klara Novotna
Tomas Uher
Lucie Friedova
Manuela Vaneckova
Jan Krasensky
Eva Kubala Havrdova
Dana Horakova
Publication date
01-03-2022
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Neurological Sciences / Issue 3/2022
Print ISSN: 1590-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1590-3478
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-021-05553-z

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