Quality of life in <i>Wilson&#x2032;s disease</i>

• Main Authors: Komal Kumar R, Taly A, Nair K.P.S, Sinha S, Prashanth L, Vidya N, Arunodaya G, Rao S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2008-01-01
• Series: Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology
• Subjects: Quality of life; WHO-BREF; Wilson&#x2032;s disease
• Online Access: http://www.annalsofian.org/article.asp?issn=0972-2327;year=2008;volume=11;issue=1;spage=37;epage=40;aulast=Komal

<b>Background:</b> Assessment of Quality of life (QoL) is fast assuming significance as the measure of health in many disorders. <b> Aim:</b> To correlate clinical severity and QoL in patients with Wilson&#x2032;s disease (WD). <b> Materials and Methods:</b> We evaluated patients of WD on regular follow up for at least two years and aged over 18 years using Neurological Symptom Score (NSS) for clinical severity and WHO-BREF for QoL at a university teaching hospital. Patients with inability to respond to the questionnaire due to behavioral problems, low IQ or other disease related factors were excluded. These 30 patients (M:F:: 23:7) had a mean age of 27.97 &#x00B1; 11.16 years at evaluation and the mean duration of treatment of 9.2 &#x00B1; 6.4 years. <b> Results:</b> All four domains of WHO-QoL-BREF viz., Physical, Psychological, Social and Environmental correlated well with each other (<i> p</i> &lt; 0.01). The NSS correlated inversely with the physical domain (<i> p</i> &lt; 0.02), while the duration of treatment had a positive correlation with the physical domain (<i> p</i> &lt; 0.01). None of the other features of QoL showed any significant correlation with age, NSS or duration of treatment. <b> Conclusion:</b> QoL is complementary to formal neurological assessment and should be routinely incorporated in the evaluation of outcome of patients with WD and other chronic neurological disorders.