The assessment of affective temperament and life quality in myofascial pain syndrome patients

Abstract

Objectives

Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) is known as a chronic pain syndrome, which is often associated with decreased life quality, depressive, and anxiety disorders. Affective temperament characteristics are mental illness signs that may assist in anticipating and detecting a tendency to depression and anxiety in MPS. The properties and impacts of affective temperament on pain, disability, life quality, depressive, and anxiety disorders in MPS patients were intended to explore by this study.

Patients and methods

This case-control study was carried out in the physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic of a university hospital, Turkey, from October 2018 to January 2019 with 51 MPS patients and 47 healthy controls (HC). Physical examination, clinical history, visual analog scale (VAS), neck disability index (NDI), Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego- Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) scale were performed for all volunteers.

Results

TEMPS-A depressive, cyclothymic, and anxious scores were remarkably higher in MPS patients than in the HC group. In MPS patients, SF 36 physical and mental health summary scores were remarkably lower than the control group. Additionally, BDI and BAI scores were significantly higher in patients with MPS than in the control group. There was a significant positive correlation between depressive and anxious temperament scores and NDI. Moreover, a negative correlation was found between the SF36 physical health summary score and depressive and anxious temperament scores. Also, the mental health summary score was negatively correlated with depressive, cyclothymic, and anxious temperament scores.

Conclusion

This research assesses for the first time of the affective temperament characteristics of MPS patients.

KEY POINTS

• Myofascial pain syndrome patients have distinct temperaments than the control group.

• Myofascial pain syndrome patients had remarkably higher TEMPS-A depressive, cyclothymic, and anxious scores than the healthy control group.

• Life quality, clinical severity, and courses can be affected by differences in temperament.

• Clinicians can readily apply the TEMPS-A temperament scale in patient application to demonstrate these differences.

• The anticipation of a psychiatric situation plays a more significant role in evaluating the higher mood symptom rates and their effect on life quality.

Keywords:

• Myofascial pain syndromes
• temperament
• quality of life
• depression
• anxiety

Author contributions

SBG: Designed, directed and coordinated the study, create study plan, selected patients and collected samples, and written the article.

ST: Designed, directed and coordinated the study, create study plan, selected patients and collected samples, and written the article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).