Adverse Childhood Experiences in Patients With MS: Impact on Quality of Life and on Coping Strategies Towards the Disease and Its Treatment

NCT ID: NCT06718920

Last Updated: 2025-02-26

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

500 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-01-13

Study Completion Date

2025-12-31

Brief Summary

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The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the presence of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) in patients with Multiple Sclerosis. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does the presence of ACE impact on quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis?
* Does it influence how the patients cope with the disease and with disease course-modifying therapies? During follow up visits, planned as part of their regular medical care, participants will answer survey questions on a tablet .

Detailed Description

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Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory, demyelinating, and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system, typically affecting young adults. Its etiopathogenesis is multifactorial, with the interaction of genetic susceptibility and environmental risk factors. Among these, childhood trauma and other forms of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) such as divorce or parental loss have been called out as possible risk factors in the development of MS and disease relapse.

Adverse Childhood Experiences are a heterogeneous group of negative experiences occurred during childhood, that may have an unfavorable impact on the later course of life in terms of physical and mental health. These effects may be related to changes in the prefrontal, limbic, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal areas and may cause repercussions on the immune system, as documented on experimental models of autoimmune encephalitis. In addition to that, a history of ACE has been associated with the development of poor coping strategies during adulthood . Since multiple sclerosis represents a chronic and progressive disease, the kind of coping strategies developed from childhood may affect how the patient perceives the disease and may affect his or her adherence to treatment.

To date, data on the prevalence of traumatic events during childhood in patients with Multiple Sclerosis are limited to a few studies, while the impact of such events on how the patient copes with the diagnosis of disease and acceptance of therapy. has not yet been explored.

This study represents a preliminary analysis of the impact of ACE in a cohort of multiple sclerosis patients and aims to evaluate how early negative life experiences may affect patients' coping strategies towards the disease and their compliance to treatment.

Conditions

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Multiple Sclerosis

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Patients referred to the Multiple Sclerosis Center of the Agostino Gemelli IRCCS

Patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis between 2014 and 2024, referring to the Multiple Sclerosis Center of the Agostino Gemelli IRCCS

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age older than 18 years;
* Diagnosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis according to McDonald criteria (2017 revisions) made between 2014 and 2024.
* Signature of informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

* Presence of language barrier
* Presence of conditions that prevent or limit understanding and proper completion of questionnaires
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Mirabella Massimiliano

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS

Rome, RM, Italy

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Italy

Central Contacts

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Massimiliano Mirabella, Neurology Associate Professor

Role: CONTACT

0630155390

Alessandra Cicia, Neurologist

Role: CONTACT

0630155390

Facility Contacts

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Massimiliano Mirabella

Role: primary

0630155390

References

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Corallo F, Bonanno L, Di Cara M, Rifici C, Sessa E, D'Aleo G, Lo Buono V, Venuti G, Bramanti P, Marino S. Therapeutic adherence and coping strategies in patients with multiple sclerosis: An observational study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Jul;98(29):e16532. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000016532.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31335734 (View on PubMed)

Sheffler JL, Piazza JR, Quinn JM, Sachs-Ericsson NJ, Stanley IH. Adverse childhood experiences and coping strategies: identifying pathways to resiliency in adulthood. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2019 Sep;32(5):594-609. doi: 10.1080/10615806.2019.1638699. Epub 2019 Jul 9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31288568 (View on PubMed)

Nusslock R, Miller GE. Early-Life Adversity and Physical and Emotional Health Across the Lifespan: A Neuroimmune Network Hypothesis. Biol Psychiatry. 2016 Jul 1;80(1):23-32. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.05.017. Epub 2015 Jun 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26166230 (View on PubMed)

Khaw YM, Majid D, Oh S, Kang E, Inoue M. Early-life-trauma triggers interferon-beta resistance and neurodegeneration in a multiple sclerosis model via downregulated beta1-adrenergic signaling. Nat Commun. 2021 Jan 4;12(1):105. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-20302-0.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33397973 (View on PubMed)

McEwen BS. In pursuit of resilience: stress, epigenetics, and brain plasticity. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2016 Jun;1373(1):56-64. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13020. Epub 2016 Feb 25.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26919273 (View on PubMed)

Hepgul N, Pariante CM, Dipasquale S, DiForti M, Taylor H, Marques TR, Morgan C, Dazzan P, Murray RM, Mondelli V. Childhood maltreatment is associated with increased body mass index and increased C-reactive protein levels in first-episode psychosis patients. Psychol Med. 2012 Sep;42(9):1893-901. doi: 10.1017/S0033291711002947. Epub 2012 Jan 20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22260948 (View on PubMed)

Eid K, Bjork MH, Gilhus NE, Torkildsen O. Adverse Childhood Experiences and the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis Development: A Review of Potential Mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jan 26;25(3):1520. doi: 10.3390/ijms25031520.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 38338799 (View on PubMed)

Spitzer C, Bouchain M, Winkler LY, Wingenfeld K, Gold SM, Grabe HJ, Barnow S, Otte C, Heesen C. Childhood trauma in multiple sclerosis: a case-control study. Psychosom Med. 2012 Apr;74(3):312-8. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31824c2013. Epub 2012 Mar 9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22408134 (View on PubMed)

Nikulina V, Widom CS. Child maltreatment and executive functioning in middle adulthood: a prospective examination. Neuropsychology. 2013 Jul;27(4):417-427. doi: 10.1037/a0032811.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23876115 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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6791

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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