Association between Frailty and Sleep Quality in People Living with Multiple Sclerosis: An Exploratory Study

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

3:15 PM – 3:21 PM

Location: Station 12

Presenter(s)

Tobia Zanotto, PhD, MS, BS

Assistant Professor
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, Kansas, United States

Non-presenting author(s)

DP

Danya Pradeep Kumar, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training, University of Kansas Medical Center
Overland Park, Kansas, United States

Non-presenting Author(s)

JC

Julia Cozart

PhD Candidate
UMKC, United States
AB

Amanda S. Bruce, PhD

Associate Professor
University of Kansas Medical Center
Leawood, Kansas, United States
CB

Christie Befort

Professor
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, United States
Catherine Siengsukon, PT, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science and Athletic Training, University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, Kansas, United States
RS

Robin P. Shook, n/a

Associate Professor
Children's Mercy
KANSAS CITY, Missouri, United States
SL

Sharon G. Lynch, M.D.

Professor
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, Kansas, United States
RM

Rola Mahmoud, MD

MS fellowship trained neurologist
University of Missouri-Kansas City, Saint-Luke's Hospital of Kansas City
kansas city, Missouri, United States
SS

Steve Simon, PhD

Professor
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
PH

Paul Hibbing

Assistant Professor
University of Illinois Chicago, Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, United States
BD

Betty Drees, MD

Professor
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
JH

Joanie M. Huebner, PhD

Integrated Health Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
TB

Taylor Bradish, MS Experimental Psychology

Study Coordinator
University of Missouri - Kansas City, Georgia, United States
JR

Jade Robichaud, BA

Research Coordinator
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Jacob J. Sosnoff, PhD

Professor and Associate Dean for Research
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, Kansas, United States
JB

Jared Bruce

Professor
University of Missouri-Kansas City, United States

Research Objectives: To explore the association between frailty and sleep quality in people living with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Design: Secondary analysis.

Setting: University research laboratory.

Participants: A total of 76 individuals with multiple sclerosis (mean age: 47.63±10.89 years, 81.6% female, mean body mass index (BMI): 37.10±5.48kg/m2, PDDS: 0.82±1.20) were included in this cross-sectional analysis.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures: A comprehensive frailty index (FI) based on 41 health deficits from various health domains was calculated. Sleep quality was determined by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire (PSQI). The relationship between FI and sleep quality was examined by means of non-parametric partial correlations.

Results: Overall, 67.1% of the participants were identified as non-frail (FI ≤ 0.25) and 32.9% were identified as frail (FI > 0.25). A significant correlation between higher FI scores and higher global PSQI scores was observed (ρ=0.43, p< 0.0). In addition, cross-tabulation analyses revealed that frail participants had worse subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, and daytime dysfunction, and higher use of sleep medications compared to the non-frail (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The current study identified a significant association between frailty and sleep quality in people living with MS with minimal disability. These findings underscore the critical importance of untangling the relationship between frailty and sleep quality in people living with MS. This finding could lead to a more targeted approach for rehabilitation interventions aiming to improve frailty in MS.

Author(s) Disclosures: This study was supported by grants from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (MB-1807-31633, RG-1907-34376, RG-1901-33239).

Learning Objectives:

Understand association the concept of frailty in individuals living with MS.
Understand the association of sleep with frailty in individuals living with MS.
Develop intervention programs that target sleep quality in frail individuals living with MS.