Health-Related Quality of Life and Psychosocial Characteristics of Patients With Benign Essential Blepharospasm

Abstract

To examine vision-targeted health-related quality of life and psychosocial characteristics in patients with benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) compared with patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS). Methods: Persons with BEB (n = 159) or HFS (n=91) were identified based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modifications codes with subsequent verification by record abstraction. Information regarding demographics, health characteristics, disease characteristics, and vision-targeted health-related quality of life was obtained through a telephone interview. Results: For patients with BEB and HFS, the composite scores and subscale scores on the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) were low. Compared with patients with HFS, patients with BEB reported more depressive symptoms (P =.03), met the criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (P=.007), had lower NEI-VFQ-25 composite scores (PϽ.001), and had lower NEI-VFQ-25 subscale scores regarding general vision (P =.03), ocular pain (PϽ.001), distance activities (P = .001), driving (PϽ.001), and all of the visionspecific subscales addressing psychosocial issues. Conclusions: Compared with patients with HFS, those with BEB experience a greater reduction in visiontargeted health-related quality of life and are more prone to symptoms of depression and anxiety. This underscores the inadequacy of current treatment options for BEB in light of the fact that these patients had been undergoing standard-of-care treatments for some time.

Frequency of psychiatric disorders in blepharospasm does not differ from hemifacial spasm

“…According to the current study, patients with BS or HS do not show significant differences in frequency and severity of psychiatric symptoms. Our findings is in contrast with some studies in which anxiety and depressive symptoms were described as more frequent in BS patients than in HS subjects (14,26,27). Hall et al evaluated 159 BS patients and 91 HS patients by phone call using DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of anxiety disorders and the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD) for depression diagnosis (5).…”

Frequency of psychiatric disorders in blepharospasm does not differ from hemifacial spasm

“…According to the current study, patients with BS or HS do not show significant differences in frequency and severity of psychiatric symptoms. Our findings is in contrast with some studies in which anxiety and depressive symptoms were described as more frequent in BS patients than in HS subjects (14,26,27). Hall et al evaluated 159 BS patients and 91 HS patients by phone call using DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of anxiety disorders and the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD) for depression diagnosis (5).…”

Sexual Well-Being in Patients with Blepharospasm, Spasmodic Torticollis, and Hemifacial Spasm: A Pilot Study

“…The results of the present study showed the presence of depressive and anxious symptoms in patients with BSP and ST, but not in patients with HFS. Overall, these findings are in line with the evidence of higher levels of depression and anxiety, obsessive compulsive, and social phobia symptoms, associated with poorer quality of life in BSP and ST compared to HFS patients ( Bihari et al, 1992 ; Hall et al, 2006 ; Tan et al, 2006 ; Pekmezovic et al, 2009 ; Barahona-Corrêa et al, 2011 ; Fontenelle et al, 2011 ; Setthawatcharawanich et al, 2011 ; Lehn et al, 2014 ). Most importantly, although sexual functioning was affected in all groups of patients (i.e., higher incidence of impotence in men and anorgasmia in women), dystonic patients were the most compromised.…”

Blepharospasm in Japan: A Clinical Observational Study From a Large Referral Hospital in Tokyo

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Frequency of psychiatric disorders in blepharospasm does not differ from hemifacial spasm

“…According to the current study, patients with BS or HS do not show significant differences in frequency and severity of psychiatric symptoms. Our findings is in contrast with some studies in which anxiety and depressive symptoms were described as more frequent in BS patients than in HS subjects (14,26,27). Hall et al evaluated 159 BS patients and 91 HS patients by phone call using DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of anxiety disorders and the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD) for depression diagnosis (5).…”

Sexual Well-Being in Patients with Blepharospasm, Spasmodic Torticollis, and Hemifacial Spasm: A Pilot Study

“…The results of the present study showed the presence of depressive and anxious symptoms in patients with BSP and ST, but not in patients with HFS. Overall, these findings are in line with the evidence of higher levels of depression and anxiety, obsessive compulsive, and social phobia symptoms, associated with poorer quality of life in BSP and ST compared to HFS patients ( Bihari et al, 1992 ; Hall et al, 2006 ; Tan et al, 2006 ; Pekmezovic et al, 2009 ; Barahona-Corrêa et al, 2011 ; Fontenelle et al, 2011 ; Setthawatcharawanich et al, 2011 ; Lehn et al, 2014 ). Most importantly, although sexual functioning was affected in all groups of patients (i.e., higher incidence of impotence in men and anorgasmia in women), dystonic patients were the most compromised.…”

Blepharospasm in Japan: A Clinical Observational Study From a Large Referral Hospital in Tokyo

“……”

Frequency of psychiatric disorders in blepharospasm does not differ from hemifacial spasm

“…According to the current study, patients with BS or HS do not show significant differences in frequency and severity of psychiatric symptoms. Our findings is in contrast with some studies in which anxiety and depressive symptoms were described as more frequent in BS patients than in HS subjects (14,26,27). Hall et al evaluated 159 BS patients and 91 HS patients by phone call using DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of anxiety disorders and the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD) for depression diagnosis (5).…”

Sexual Well-Being in Patients with Blepharospasm, Spasmodic Torticollis, and Hemifacial Spasm: A Pilot Study

“…The results of the present study showed the presence of depressive and anxious symptoms in patients with BSP and ST, but not in patients with HFS. Overall, these findings are in line with the evidence of higher levels of depression and anxiety, obsessive compulsive, and social phobia symptoms, associated with poorer quality of life in BSP and ST compared to HFS patients ( Bihari et al, 1992 ; Hall et al, 2006 ; Tan et al, 2006 ; Pekmezovic et al, 2009 ; Barahona-Corrêa et al, 2011 ; Fontenelle et al, 2011 ; Setthawatcharawanich et al, 2011 ; Lehn et al, 2014 ). Most importantly, although sexual functioning was affected in all groups of patients (i.e., higher incidence of impotence in men and anorgasmia in women), dystonic patients were the most compromised.…”

Blepharospasm in Japan: A Clinical Observational Study From a Large Referral Hospital in Tokyo

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