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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients tend to present peculiar personality traits that highly impact their quality of life. Our study aimed to determine which personality traits are more common in MS patients compared to a sex- and age-matched control group. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with relapsing-remitting MS along with a sex- and age-matched control group were included. All subjects completed the DECAS Personality Inventory and an additional form including demographic characteristics. Data (including descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate analysis) were analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: 122 subjects were included, out of which 61 were in the patient group, mostly females (71.31%) with a mean age of 42.06 ± 10.46 years. Mean duration of disease was 10.18 ± 5.53 years and mean EDSS score was 2.09; 36% of patients were treated with Interferon-beta 1a. Subjects in the patient group presented significantly lower scores for extraversion (p = 0.036), specifically those with higher EDSS score, even after adjusting for possible confounders (age, sex, marital status, early retirement, alcohol, and tobacco consumption). Additionally, regarding orientation in life, MS patients were more often philosophers (p = 0.001), especially young males, whereas the dominant emotional feeling was less common, the actor profile (p = 0.022). Regarding task involvement, MS patients were often passive and compassionate concerning other people. Higher EDSS score also correlated with avoidant (p = 0.006) and melancholic (p = 0.043) personality traits. Subjects with higher education associated more often pragmatic, experimenter, popular, and optimist traits, whereas the elderly had actor, authoritarian, and experimenter profiles. CONCLUSIONS: Some MS patients may have reduced levels of extraversion and specific personality traits compared to age- and sex-matched subjects. Determining the exact personality profile might help the neurologist to establish a better therapeutic alliance and to apply specific interventions.
RESUMO
(1) Background: Emerging evidence indicates that non-motor symptoms significantly influence the quality of life in dystonic patients. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate their psychological characteristics and personality traits. (2) Methods: Subjects with idiopathic dystonia and a matched control group were enrolled in this prospective observational cohort study. Inclusion criteria for patient group included idiopathic dystonia diagnosis, evolution exceeding 1 year, and signed informed consent. Inclusion criteria for the control group included lack of neurological comorbidities and signed informed consent. All subjects completed the DECAS Personality Inventory along with an additional form of demographic factors. Data (including descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate analysis) were analyzed with SPSS. (3) Results: In total, 95 participants were included, of which 57 were in the patient group. Females prevailed (80%), and the mean age was 54.64 ± 12.8 years. The most frequent clinical features of dystonia were focal distribution (71.9%) and progressive disease course (94.73%). The patients underwent regular treatment with botulinum toxin (85.95%). In addition, patients with dystonia obtained significantly higher openness scores than controls, even after adjusting for possible confounders (p = 0.006). Personality traits were also different between the two groups, with patients more often being fantasists (p = 0.007), experimenters (p = 0.022), sophists (p = 0.040), seldom acceptors (p = 0.022), and pragmatics (p = 0.022) than control subjects. (4) Conclusion: Dystonic patients tend to have different personality profiles compared to control subjects, which should be taken into consideration by the treating neurologist.