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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 March 2020
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the commonest chronic autoimmune demyelinating and inflammatory disease of the CNS, afflicting both body and mind. Typical symptoms are fatigue, paraesthesia and depression, along with cognitive impairments. Whereas there is extant research on fatigue, depression, and cognitive impairment of patients with MS during the clinical course, no research focused on sleep, psychological functioning, and physical activity (PA) at the moment of the diagnose. The aims of the present study were therefore to assess possible state markers of mental toughness (MT) as a dimension of psychological functioning, sleep disturbances (SD), PA among patients at the moment of the diagnose, and to compare these data with those of healthy adolescents and healthy young adults.
A total of 23 patients with recently diagnosed MS (M = 32.31 years), 23 healthy adolescents (M = 17.43 years), and 25 healthy young adults (M = 20.72 years) took part in the study. They completed questionnaires covering socio-demographic data, MT, SD, and PA.
Patients with MS reported similar MT traits as adolescents, and an equal amount of moderate PA and SD as young adults. Further, patients reported a lower level of vigorous PA, compared to healthy adolescents and young adults.
Compared to healthy adolescents and young adults, patients at the moment of the diagnose of MS reported similar MT traits, SD and moderate PA. The pattern of results suggests that at the moment of the diagnose MS is not predictable by poor MT, poor sleep, and decreased level of moderate PA.
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
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