Pain in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

作者：Kristina Bacher Svendsen, Troels S. Jensen, Kim Overvad, Hans J. Hansen, Nils Koch‐Henriksen, Flemming W. Bach · 发表于：Archives of Neurology · 年份：2003 · DOI：10.1001/archneur.60.8.1089 · 被引用次数：224 · 研究领域：Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies、Peripheral Neuropathies and Disorders、Vagus Nerve Stimulation Research

BACKGROUND: Pain is an important symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The estimated pain prevalence varies between 30% and 90%. To our knowledge, previous studies do not include a whole population sample of patients with MS. OBJECTIVE: To assess pain prevalence and its clinical characteristics and impact on daily life in a population sample of MS patients and in a reference group. DESIGN: Postal survey. SETTING: Aarhus County, Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: The population of patients with definite MS in Aarhus County (n = 771) and a sex- and age-stratified reference group from the general population (n = 769). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain prevalence, intensity, and treatment requirement; and the impact of pain on daily life. RESULTS: Response rates for MS patients and reference subjects were 81.3% and 63.3%, respectively. Pain in the month preceding assessment occurred in 79.4% of MS patients and in 74.7% of reference subjects (prevalence proportion ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.99-1.13). Patients with MS had a higher pain intensity ("when pain is at its least" median visual analog scale score, 20.0 vs 11.0 mm [P<.01];and "when pain is at its worst" median visual analog scale score, 68.0 vs 55.0 mm [P<.01]). Daily intake of analgesics occurred in 24.4% of MS patients and 9.0% of reference subjects (prevalence proportion ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-3.6). Patients with MS more often reported that pain interfered with daily life "most of the time" or "...