AN INVESTIGATION OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND ITS RELATION WITH FATIGUE AND KINESIOPHOBIA

Objective: Autonomic nervous system (ANS) involvement has been emphasized in the etiology of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and may be related to the common symptoms such as fatigue and kinesiophobia. This study was planned to investigate the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV), which is used as an indicator of autonomic functions, and fatigue and kinesiophobia in patients with MS. Method: The study was completed with fifty volunteer MS patients. In addition to participants' disease duration, disability status was assessed using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), HRV with the Polar H10 model heart rate monitor, fatigue levels with the Fatigue Severity Scale, kinesiophobia levels with the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale, and pain levels with the Pain Perception Questionnaire. Results: No statistically significant correlation was found between HRV parameters and kinesiophobia and fatigue (p>0.05). Statistically significant relationships were observed between mean heart rate and EDSS score and disease duration (p