Detection of depression in patients with myasthenia gravis using the beck scale

Myasthenia is a classic autoimmune disease, the clinical manifestations of which, in the form of weakness and pathological muscle fatigue, are caused by the phenomenon of autoaggression with the formation of antibodies directed against various antigen targets of the peripheral neuromotor apparatus. In addition to somatic manifestations, more and more attention of researchers is attracted by concomitant mental disorders, primarily depressive states, which can significantly aggravate the course of the underlying disease and reduce the effectiveness of complex therapy.

The purpose of this study is to assess the frequency and relationship of depression in patients with myasthenia.

Methods and Materials. Forty patients with myasthenia were examined (14 men and 26 women, the average age of patients was 48.6 ± 12.95 years). The severity of depression was determined using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The relationship between these indicators and gender, age, disease duration, and myasthenia severity, as measured by the MGFA scale, was clarified.

Results. The results indicate a high prevalence of depressive symptoms among patients with myasthenia, with mild and moderate depressive disorders being the most common. For patients with myasthenia, the level of depression according to the Beck Depression Inventory was significantly higher than in healthy subjects. In patients with myasthenia, the value was 16.62 ± 8.15, and in healthy volunteers, it was 8.25 ± 5.06 (p < 0.01).

Conclusion. Thus, depression in patients with myasthenia gravis is a common and often underestimated clinical problem that requires a comprehensive and systematic approach to diagnosis and therapy. The introduction of timely depression screening into standard clinical algorithms for the management of patients with myasthenia gravis facilitates more timely detection of affective disorders, increases treatment adherence, and improves the overall prognosis of the disease. An interdisciplinary approach, involving interaction between specialists in neurology and psychiatry, is optimal, ensuring more effective management of this patient group.

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