Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare disorder of the nervous system that detrimentally influences health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Evidence regarding factors influencing HRQoL in CIDP is scarce. The present study aimed to evaluate the health status of CIDP patients using instruments that assess multiple domains of HRQoL and to identify predictors of HRQoL in a large sample of German patients. METHODS: 102 patients with CIDP - according to the criteria of the European Academy of Neurology/Peripheral Nerve Society - were recruited between January 2013 and June 2014 from specialized neuroimmunology clinics. Response variables were the global and domain scores of the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions 3 Level Version (EQ-5D) instrument and the World Health Organization quality of life instrument (WHOQOL). Regressor variables included the use of intravenous immunoglobulin, the use of systemic corticosteroids, sex, age, disease duration, depression, comorbidities, cognition, and sensory deficits. A control group was not assessed; unmatched normative data derived from published sources served as comparison data. RESULTS: Compared to healthy population norms, HRQoL was lower among CIDP patients, with a mean EQ-5D index score of 0.68 (SD: 0.43) and mean visual analogue scale score of 53.8 (SD: 21.4). The lowest WHOQOL scores were found in the physical (M: 55.6, SD: 17.9) and global (M: 47.6, SD: 17.5) domains. Depression was identified as the most consistent correlate of HRQoL, with p < 0.01 across all dimensions. DISCUSSION: HRQoL is reduced in CIDP patients. Adjunct treatment of depression shows encouraging potential as a therapeutic approach to enhance HRQoL.