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. 2017 Apr;8(2):423.
doi: 10.4172/2155-9562.1000423. Epub 2017 Apr 29.

Functional Decline is Associated with Hopelessness in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Sabrina Paganoni  1   2 , Erin McDonnell  3 , David Schoenfeld  3 , Hong Yu  1 , Jing Deng  1 , Hamza Atassi  1 , Alexander Sherman  1 , Padmaja Yerramilli-Rao  1 , Merit Cudkowicz  1 , Nazem Atassi  1
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Functional Decline is Associated with Hopelessness in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Sabrina Paganoni et al. J Neurol Neurophysiol. 2017 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the relationships between hopelessness, depression, quality of life, and disease progression in ALS.

Methods: Hopelessness and depression were assessed prospectively in a cohort of people with ALS using the Beck Hopelessness scale (BHS) and the ALS Depression Inventory (ADI-12), respectively. ALS Specific Quality of Life and measures of functional status (ALSFRS-R and forced vital capacity) were collected. Associations between changes in psychological health and functional scores were calculated using Spearman correlation coefficients.

Results: Twenty-five people with ALS had at least 2 visits and were followed for a mean of 11 (± 6) months. People with hopelessness and depression reported worse quality of life (p<0.01 for both associations). Decline in function between any two visits measured by ALSFRS-R (p<0.01) and FVC (p=0.02) correlated with increased hopelessness, but not depression.

Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of monitoring hopelessness in ALS, particularly in patients with faster functional decline.

Keywords: Depression; Disease progression; Hopelessness; Predictor; Quality of life.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Correlation between changes in function and hopelessness. Worsening ALSFRS-R (A) and FVC (B) between two study visits was associated with worsening hopelessness, as measured by BHS scores.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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