An Observational Study to Assess the Quality of Life of the Patients With Multiple Sclerosis and Their Caregivers

• Impact of MS on QoL of subjects diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their caregivers [ Time Frame: Each visit starting from the initial visit (Day 0) to end of the observation period (i.e. 24 months) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  SF-36 will be administered to subjects diagnosed with MS and their caregivers; Beck depression inventory and MS-Functional system scores to subjects diagnosed with MS.
  
  

• Correlation between QoL of subjects with MS and their caregivers [ Time Frame: During the observation period of 24 months starting from the initial visit (i.e. Day 0) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Predictors of QoL of caregivers [ Time Frame: During the observation period of 24 months starting from the initial visit (i.e. Day 0) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

Caregivers of subjects diagnosed with MS have to take care of many activities of MS subjects that they cannot perform themselves, because of their lack of autonomy. The fact of aiding a person with some degree of disability due to a chronic disease in an intense way and for a long time could generate a high level of satisfaction in the caregiver; but at the same time the emotional and physical exhaustion of the caregiver increases as the disease progresses. The QoL of the person who is emotionally bonded to the MS subject as a caregiver has a great chance to be affected; and this is for sure more likely than in the case when the caregiver is a hired professional.

OBJECTIVES

Primary objective:

• To identify the impact of MS on the QoL of the MS subjects and their caregivers

Secondary objectives:

• To establish the correlation between the QoL of the subjects with MS and their caregivers
• To identify the predictors of the QoL in the caregiver group

This is an observational, prospective and non-interventional study planned to be conducted in 20 centers in Argentina. The subjects with diagnosed MS will be managed with the clinical and therapeutic elements that their treating doctors considered appropriate, without modifying their decisions due to the subjects' inclusion into the study. The caregivers will be asked to complete the QoL questionnaire as a part of the normal interview on each and every visit. The total duration of the study is 24 months. A descriptive analysis will be performed for the demographic and clinical characteristics of the investigation subjects, as well as for the characteristics of the treatments they receive when they start their participation in this study. For the qualitative variables, treatment modifications, frequency tables and the percentages will be performed.