FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES OF PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Omima Abdel Shafy Halawa* and Afaf Farahat Shehatah

ABSTRACT

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most widespread neurological conditions in the globe. It causes non-traumatic neurologic impairment, which impacts the patient's functional abilities, mental wellness, and performance daily tasks which have a detrimental effect on their quality of life (QOL). Objective: To assess functional abilities of patients with multiple sclerosis. Study design: A descriptive research design was adopted for this study. Setting: The study was conducted at neuropsychiatric outpatient clinics El- Hadara Orthopedic and Traumatology Alexandria University Hospital. Subjects: A convenience sample of 110 adult patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Tools: Two tools were used: Tool I: Patients' assessment; Tool II: Functional abilities for MS patients; it consisted of two parts; Part (A): Functional abilities scale; Part (B): Expanded disabilities status scale score (EDSS). Results: According to the study, approximately 25% of MS patients performed their ADLs independently, which resulted in a moderate level of expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score. Conclusion: MS raises the likelihood of co-morbidity and mortality while also causing a continuous loss in functional capacities.

Keywords: Functional abilities, Patients, Multiple sclerosis.