BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the leading cause of neurological disability among young and middle-aged adults. One of the most devastating consequences of MS in this relatively young population group is unemployment. Although certain demographic and disease factors have been associated with employment, few studies have examined the contribution of person-specific factors, such as personality. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which personality, demographics, and clinical measures contribute to unemployment in MS. METHOD: A total of 101 individuals with MS who were enrolled in a clinical trial on cognition underwent a brief neuropsychological battery and completed questionnaires related to vocation, mood, fatigue, and personality. Neurological impairment was measured with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). RESULTS: Employment status was related with disease duration, MS subtype, level of neurological impairment, fatigue, performance on measures assessing information processing speed (Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)), learning and memory (Selective Reminding Test), and the personality characteristic of persistence. Based on a forward logistic regression analysis, EDSS, SDMT, and persistence were the strongest predictors of employment status. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the importance of personality on outcomes in MS and point to the need for more clinical attention and research in this area.
BACKGROUND:Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the leading cause of neurological disability among young and middle-aged adults. One of the most devastating consequences of MS in this relatively young population group is unemployment. Although certain demographic and disease factors have been associated with employment, few studies have examined the contribution of person-specific factors, such as personality. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which personality, demographics, and clinical measures contribute to unemployment in MS. METHOD: A total of 101 individuals with MS who were enrolled in a clinical trial on cognition underwent a brief neuropsychological battery and completed questionnaires related to vocation, mood, fatigue, and personality. Neurological impairment was measured with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). RESULTS: Employment status was related with disease duration, MS subtype, level of neurological impairment, fatigue, performance on measures assessing information processing speed (Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)), learning and memory (Selective Reminding Test), and the personality characteristic of persistence. Based on a forward logistic regression analysis, EDSS, SDMT, and persistence were the strongest predictors of employment status. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the importance of personality on outcomes in MS and point to the need for more clinical attention and research in this area.
Authors: Tom A Fuchs; Michael G Dwyer; Amy Kuceyeski; Sanjeevani Choudhery; Keith Carolus; Xian Li; Matthew Mallory; Bianca Weinstock-Guttman; Dejan Jakimovski; Deepa Ramasamy; Robert Zivadinov; Ralph H B Benedict Journal: Hum Brain Mapp Date: 2018-05-08 Impact factor: 5.038
Authors: Kristen A Rahn; Crystal C Watkins; Jesse Alt; Rana Rais; Marigo Stathis; Inna Grishkan; Ciprian M Crainiceau; Martin G Pomper; Camilo Rojas; Mikhail V Pletnikov; Peter A Calabresi; Jason Brandt; Peter B Barker; Barbara S Slusher; Adam I Kaplin Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2012-11-19 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Maria Janina Wendebourg; Lena Katharina Feddersen; Stephanie Lau; Sascha Köpke; Rona Moss-Morris; Christoph Heesen; Jana Pöttgen Journal: Int J MS Care Date: 2016 May-Jun