Change in disability profile and quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients: a five-year longitudinal study using the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Profile (MSIP)

Background: Evidence on the progress of disease severity in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is generally limited in scope. Objectives: To examine the course of a broad spectrum of MS-related disabilities and quality of life (QOL) in relation to disease severity, and responsiveness of the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Profile (MSIP). Methods: The mortality rate was calculated after checking the national population register for vital status of the initial cohort. We performed a longitudinal study among 245 patients with MS attending the Groningen MS Center in the Netherlands. We assessed these patients in 2004 and 2009 using a postal survey including the MSIP to evaluate disabilities, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Abbreviation version (WHOQOL-BREF) to evaluate QOL, and the ambulation question of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) to evaluate disease severity. Responsiveness of the MSIP was estimated using standardized response mean (SRM). Results: Increase of disability in the MSIP disability domains and loss of QOL were most prevalent and pronounced in patients with EDSS 0 to = 7 to