Self-reported visual dysfunction in multiple sclerosis: results from the 25-Item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25)

• Published in: Multiple sclerosis 2000-12, Vol.6 (6), p.382-385
• Main Authors: Balcer, L.J., Baier, M.L., Kunkle, A.M., Rudick, R.A., Weinstock-Guttman, B., Simonian, N., Galetta, S.L., Cutter, G.R., Maguire, M.G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1352-4585; 1477-0970
• DOI: 10.1191/135245800701566359

Visual impairment is one of the most common clinical manifestations of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and is strongly related to overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in MS and other disorders. However, the assessment of vision-specific HRQOL in patients with MS has been limited. The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported visual dysfunction in a clinically heterogeneous MS cohort using the 25-Item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25). The VFQ-25 was administered by telephone interview to a subset of participants in a follow-up study to a phase III trial of interferon beta-1a for relapsing-remitting MS. Mean VFQ-25 composite scores and selected sub-scale scores were significantly lower (worse) among patients in our MS cohort (n=35) compared with a published reference group of patients with no history of chronic eye disease (n= 118). These differences were observed despite a relatively younger age and tighter distribution of binocular visual acuities in the MS cohort Patients with MS in this study thus demonstrated a greater degree of self-reported visual dysfunction, as measured by the VFQ-25, compared with an eye disease-free reference group. The VFQ-25 is a potentially useful measure of vision-specific HRQOL in patients with MS.