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Multicenter Study
. 2022 Feb;80(2):168-172.
doi: 10.1590/0004-282X-ANP-2020-0400.

Coexistence of restless legs syndrome and multiple sclerosis aggravates anxiety and depression

Serhan Sevim  1 , Meltem Demirkiran  2 , Murat Terzi  3 , Nur Yüceyar  4 , Bahar Taşdelen  5 , Egemen Idiman  6 , Murat Kürtüncü  7 , Cavit Boz  8 , Deniz Tuncel  9 , Rana Karabudak  10 , Aksel Siva  11 , Abdülcemal Özcan  12 , Münife Neyal  13 , Başak Karakurum Göksel  14 , Gülcan Baran Gazaloğlu  15 , Mehmet Balal  2 , Sedat Şen  3 , Meltem Alkaya Baklan  4 , Tuncay Gündüz  7 , Aslı Tuncer  10 , Uğur Uygunoğlu  11
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Coexistence of restless legs syndrome and multiple sclerosis aggravates anxiety and depression

Serhan Sevim et al. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2022 Feb.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Background: Among the comorbidities that accompany multiple sclerosis (MS), restless legs syndrome (RLS) is one of the most common. Anxiety and depression are common psychological comorbidities that impact the quality of life of patients with MS (PwMS), as well as patients with RLS.

Objective: To investigate the psychiatric burden of MS and RLS coexistence, we conducted a nationwide, multicenter and cross-sectional survey.

Methods: Participants were assessed by using demographic and clinical parameters along with the Hamilton Anxiety and Hamilton Depression Scales (HAM-A and HAM-D).

Results: Out of the 1,068 participants, 173 (16.2%) were found to have RLS [RLS(+)] and 895 (83.8%) did not [RLS(-)]. The mean scores for HAM-A and HAM-D were significantly higher among RLS(+) subjects than among RLS(-) subjects (p<0.001 for all variables).

Conclusions: According to our data, the presence of RLS in PwMS may increase the occurrence of both anxiety and depression symptoms. Awareness and treatment of RLS in PwMS could possibly reduce the symptoms of psychiatric comorbidities originating from RLS.

Antecedentes:: Considerando-se as comorbidades que acompanham a esclerose múltipla (EM), a síndrome das pernas inquietas (SPI) é uma das mais comuns, e ansiedade e depressão são comorbidades psicológicas comuns que afetam a qualidade de vida de pacientes com EM, bem como de pacientes com SPI.

Objetivo:: Investigar a carga psiquiátrica da coexistência de EM e SPI por meio de uma pesquisa nacional, multicêntrica e transversal.

Métodos:: Os participantes foram avaliados por parâmetros demográficos e clínicos, além da versão turca das escalas de ansiedade e depressão de Hamilton (HAM-A e HAM-D).

Resultados:: Dos 1.068 participantes, 173 (16,2%) apresentaram SPI [SPI (+)] e 895 (83,8%) não [SPI (-)]. As pontuações médias no HAM-A e no HAM-D foram significativamente maiores em indivíduos com SPI (+) do que naqueles com SPI (-) (p <0,001 para todas as variáveis).

Conclusões:: De acordo com nossos dados, a presença de SPI na EM pode aumentar a ocorrência de sintomas de ansiedade e depressão. A conscientização e o tratamento da SPI na EM podem reduzir os sintomas de comorbidades psiquiátricas originadas da SPI.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: There is no conflict of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Anxiety scores on HAM-A among RLS(+) and RLS(-) patients. The mean HAM-A score of RLS(+) patients with multiple sclerosis was significantly higher than that of patients with multiple sclerosis without restless legs syndrome (p<0.001).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Depression scores on HAM-D among RLS(+) and RLS(-) patients. The mean HAM-D score of RLS(+) patients with multiple sclerosis was significantly higher than that of patients with multiple sclerosis without restless legs syndrome (p<0.001).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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