Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of new neuromuscular symptoms and disabilities and the psychological characteristics-depressioin, anxiety, type A behavior, loneliness, and also to determine any relationships between physical and neuropsychological characteristics in a group of post-polio syndrome (PPS).
Method: By 70 answered questionnaire, the polio survivors were grouped into PPS and Non- PPS. This questionnaire consisted of questions about acute polio problems; new health problems, fatigue severity scale, visual analog scale, weakness scale, Frenchay activity index, ambulation disability index; socio-economic problems; neuro-psychological inventories, Beck depression index, Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory, revised UCLA loneliness scale, type A personality score.
Results: The median time from polio to the onset of new health problems was 27.6 years. Fatigue, muscle and/or joint pain, weakness in previously affected and unaffected muscles were most common newly appearing problems. The symptoms of PPS was consistent with the distribution of the anterior horn cell; spinal cord, brain stem, cerebral hemisphere, Reticular Activating System (RAS). Neuro-psychological evaluations revealed that fatigue scale was correlated with depression, type A personality.
Conclusion: In PPS group, pain, weakness, fatigue, autonomous symptoms, decreased concentration were more serious than in Non-PPS group. The fatigue in PPS group was correlated with type A personality, depression, sleep disturbance and concentration problem.
