HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Arnett, P A Articles by Randolph, J J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Arnett, P A Articles by Randolph, J J Related Collections Depression Multiple sclerosis

Longitudinal course of depression symptoms in multiple sclerosis

¹ Department of Psychology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
² Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Peter Arnett
Penn State University, Psychology Department, 522 Bruce V Moore Bldg, University Park, PA 16802-3105, USA; paa6{at}psu.edu

Background: Despite the high lifetime prevalence of depression in multiple sclerosis (MS), its longitudinal course is poorly understood.

Objective: To examine the longitudinal course of and reliable change in different depression symptom clusters in MS, and the longitudinal association of interferon beta treatment and coping with depression symptoms.

Methods: 53 MS patients were examined at two time points three years apart on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Chicago Multiscale Depression Inventory (CMDI).

Results: Correlations from time 1 to time 2 for BDI, CMDI-total, CMDI-evaluative scale, and CMDI-vegetative scale were all highly significant, and reliable change indices reflected little change over time. In contrast, the correlation over time for the CMDI-mood scale was significantly lower (p<0.05) than the CMDI-evaluative and CMDI-vegetative scale correlations, and over 40% of patients showed reliable change. Patients who improved in their mood showed increased use of active coping, while patients who worsened showed decreased active coping strategies; the latter were also significantly more likely to have been taking interferon beta drugs at both time points than patients who did not change in their mood functioning.

Conclusions: Mood symptoms of depression are significantly more variable over time than neurovegetative or negative evaluative symptoms in MS patients. Decreased use of active coping strategies may put patients at risk of increased depressed mood, whereas increased use of active coping may result in decreased depressed mood longitudinally. Interferon beta use may put patients at risk of increases in depressed mood.

Abbreviations: BDI, Beck Depression Inventory; CMDI, Chicago Multiscale Depression Inventory; EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale; MS, multiple sclerosis

Keywords: multiple sclerosis; depression; coping; interferons

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Patten, J. Williams, and L. Metz Anti-depressant use in association with interferon and glatiramer acetate treatment in multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, April 1, 2008; 14(3): 406 - 411. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. C. McCann and B. N. Ames Is there convincing biological or behavioral evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to brain dysfunction? FASEB J, April 1, 2008; 22(4): 982 - 1001. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]