pain phenomena in multiple sclerosis, comorbid affective disorders and insomnia

The aim of the study is to assess the characteristics of pain in ms patients and its relationship with affective disorders and insomnia. the study included 104 ms patients (70 women, 34 men; mean age 38.56 ± 9.12 years) observed in a specialized center. patients were divided into two groups: group 1 included patients reporting pain symptoms, group 2 included patients without pain complaints at the time of assessment. clinical examination assessed pain intensity and characteristics (numeric pain rating scale, central sensitization questionnaire), and its effect on daily activities and quality of life (sf-36). depression and anxiety were evaluated using the beck depression inventory and spielberger-hanin scales; sleep quality was assessed using the pittsburgh sleep quality index (psqi). statistical analysis was performed with stattech v. 4.1.7; differences were considered significant at p < 0.05. pain of various localization and intensity was present in most patients, predominantly moderate (67.3%). headache occurred in 84.6%, back pain in 44.2%, and joint pain in 36.5%. headaches were accompanied by nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia. depression was found in 73.1% of patients with pain and 67.3% without. anxiety levels were significantly higher in the pain group (p < 0.001). sleep quality was markedly poorer in patients with pain (psqi = 11.02 vs 8.27; p < 0.001). overall quality of life was significantly reduced, particularly in physical and emotional functioning. thus, ms treatment should address the neurological disease as well as pain, affective and sleep disorders. further study of underlying mechanisms and symptom correlations remaining essential.