Evaluation of nonmotor symptoms in myasthenia gravis patients

Authors

AYSEL TEKEŞİNFollow
ÇAĞLA ŞİŞMANFollow
UFUK EMRE TOPRAKFollow
ALENA SARFollow
BURCU AKALINFollow
GONCAGÜL KOŞARGELİRFollow
MELİH TÜTÜNCÜFollow
ENES YİĞİTFollow

Abstract

Background/aim: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is chronic autoimmune disorder characterized primarily by muscle weakness and fatigue, due to autoantibodies targeting acetylcholine receptor at neuromuscular junction. In this study, we aimed to evaluate non-motor symptoms in myasthenia gravis patients and compare them with disease duration, severity and clinical features.Materials and methods: This prospective study was conducted with thirty-five myasthenia gravis patients and thirty-five healthy volunteers. Total of 35 patients, 17 women and 18 men with mean age of 52.9±13.6 years constituted patient group. Control group consisted of total of 35 participants, 23 women and 12 men with mean age of 46.9±12.2 years. Patient group was applied scales of MG Foundation of America clinical classification, MG Composite and Turkish version of MG Quality of Life 15. For non-motor functions, both in patients and controls; we used the inquiry questionnaires evaluating symptoms of headache, pain, depression, anxiety, sleep, physical activity, cognition, smell and taste. Results: Results revealed prevalent and diverse non-motor symptoms in MG patients. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score and degree of olfactory function in cinnamon in patient group was significantly (p<0.05) lower than control group. Rate of impaired MoCA degree, headache rate, Beck depression score, depression rate, Beck anxiety score, anxiety rate, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score, rate of poor PSQI in patient group was significantly (p<0.05) higher than control group.Conclusion: In conclusion, our study emphasizes importance of recognizing and managing non-motor symptoms in MG patients, advocating for multidisciplinary approach to care that addresses both motor and non-motor manifestations. By expanding our understanding of MG's systemic impact and exploring new treatment modalities, we can improve lives of those living with this complex autoimmune disorder. Further research is needed to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms underlying these non-motor manifestations, which will be pivotal in developing more targeted and effective therapeutic strategies.

Author ORCID Identifier

AYSEL TEKEŞİN: 0000-0002-0856-9387

ÇAĞLA ŞİŞMAN: 0000-0002-7632-0049

UFUK EMRE TOPRAK: 0000-0002-1650-3935

ALENA SAR: 0009-0001-6452-6023

BURCU AKALIN: 0009-0007-3745-1269

GONCAGÜL KOŞARGELİR: 0000-0003-0763-456X

MELİH TÜTÜNCÜ: 0000-0002-9851-7002

ENES YİĞİT: 0000-0002-9853-6238

DOI

10.55730/1300-0144.5951

Keywords

Myasthenia gravis, non-motor symptoms, systemic impact

First Page

127

Last Page

139

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

TEKEŞİN, AYSEL; ŞİŞMAN, ÇAĞLA; EMRE TOPRAK, UFUK; SAR, ALENA; AKALIN, BURCU; KOŞARGELİR, GONCAGÜL; TÜTÜNCÜ, MELİH; and YİĞİT, ENES (2025) "Evaluation of nonmotor symptoms in myasthenia gravis patients," Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences: Vol. 55: No. 1, Article 15. https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0144.5951
Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/medical/vol55/iss1/15