The frequency of speech impairment and its influencing factors among Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most frequent demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that makes different symptoms the most disabling symptom of which is speech impairment that has significant effect on patients’ quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of speech impairment and its influential factors among Iranian patients afflicted with MS. Methods and Materials: The records of 4553 patients registered in Iranian MS Society between 1998 and 2005 were studied and 3165 of them with complete profiles about speech impairments were included. Analyzing the data, SPSS software version 15 was used. Speech impairment was seen in 37.4% of patients. The frequency of this impairment was higher among male (P<0.001), unemployed (P<0.05), and with lower educational level patients (P<0.001). Also patients with speech impairment had a higher mean age (P<0.001). The frequency of patients with speech impairment in relapsing remitting, secondary progressive, and primary progressive MS, in contrast with patients without this impairment was lower, higher, and higher respectively (P<0.001). The mean age of onset of patients with speech impairment was higher (P<0.05). Speech impairment was more frequent among patients with onset symptoms of motor or balance impairment (P<0.05) and less frequent in patients with onset symptoms of sensory impairment (P<0.001). The frequency of speech impairment was higher among Iranian patients compared with previous studies in western countries. The impairment was more frequent among male, unemployed, with lower educational level, and older patients and also among patents who were in progressive forms of MS, with higher mean age of onset and patients with onset symptoms of motor or balance impairment.