Interactions between fatigue and urinary quality of life in patients with Multiple Sclerosis

• Published in: Journal of clinical neuroscience Vol. 120; pp. 87 - 91
• Main Authors: Giannopapas, Vasileios, Kitsos, Dimitrios K., Panopoulou, Athanasia, Mitsi, Zarifoula, Stavrogianni, Konstantina, Chasiotis, Athanasios K., Gkika, Marinela K., Salakou, Stavroula, Tsivgoulis, Georgios, Bakalidou, Daphne, Giannopoulos, Sotirios
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Scotland Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2024
• Subjects: Fatigue; Fatigue - etiology; Humans; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - complications; Neurogenic bladder; Physical Examination; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic - etiology; Fatigue; Multiple sclerosis; Neurogenic bladder
• ISSN: 0967-5868; 1532-2653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2024.01.008

•A moderate to high correlation was found between the physical and cognitive dimensions of fatigue (as evaluated by the MFIS) and the patient’s urinary quality of life.•Physical fatigue was found to be a significant predictor of the patient’s perceived urinary quality of life.•Cognitive fatigue was not associated with the patient’s perceived urinary quality of life. Neurogenic bladder as well as fatigue related symptoms are common in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and have a significant impact on the patients’ Quality of Life (QoL). The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between fatigue related symptomatology (FRS) and Urinary Quality of Life (UQoL). A total of 120 consecutive MS patients were recruited from the Outpatient Clinic of Demyelinating Diseases (Second Dept. of Neurology, Attikon University Hospital Greece). Participants were then asked to complete the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) and the Short Form Qualiveen questionnaire. Demographic and bladder function related characteristics (incontinence, urinary frequency, use of intermittent catheterization) were collected. The physical and cognitive dimensions of MFIS had a moderate to high correlation with SF Qualiveen (r = 0.403, p <.000), (r = 0.329, p <.000).Multiple linear regression produced a fitted model (R2 = 0.150, F(3,111) = 5.554, p =.001) in IC use (β = 1.086, p =.036) and the physical dimension of MFIS (β = 0.66, p =.046) significantly predicted the SF Qualiveen score. UQoL had a moderate correlation with both physical and cognitive dimensions of fatigue. Patients with MS who experience lower levels of physical fatigue and/or manage their neurogenic bladder symptomatology (mainly with the use of intermittent catheterization) appear to have higher levels of UQoL. Due to the versatile and subjective nature of both fatigue related and neurogenic bladder symptoms, more focused studies utilizing objective evaluation tools (e.g urodynamic urine bladder study) are necessary.