Spotlight on Work Capacity
The European cost of illness survey looked in detail at the effects of cognitive difficulties and fatigue, as reported by patients, on productivity at work.
The analysis of more than 16,000 responses across 16 countries in Europe showed that the majority of working-age people with MS are actually not working.
Discover the key findings below.
Only
0%
of working age respondents with MS were gainfully employed or self-employed1
(n=13,796)
Adapted from Kobelt G, et al. 2019.
*All patients working. † Percentage of patients of working age.
Adapted from Kobelt G, et al. 2019.
disability progression
EDSS Scale
| EDSS 1: | No disability and minimal signs of MS in just one functional system |
| EDSS 2: | Minimal disability in one functional system |
| EDSS 3: | Moderate disability in one FS, or mild disability in three or four FS. No impairment to walking |
| EDSS 4: | Significant disability but self-sufficient and up and about some 12 hours a day. Able to walk without aid or rest for 500m |
| EDSS 5: | Disability severe enough to impair full daily activities and ability to work a full day without special provisions. Able to walk without aid or rest for 200m |
| EDSS 6: | Requires a walking aid – cane, crutch, etc. – to walk about 100m with or without resting |
| EDSS 7: | Unable to walk beyond approximately 5m even with aid. Essentially restricted to wheelchair; though wheels self in standard wheelchair and transfers alone. Up and about in wheelchair some 12 hours a day |
| EDSS 8: | Essentially restricted to bed or chair or pushed in wheelchair. May be out of bed itself much of the day. Retains many self-care functions. Generally has effective use of arms |
| EDSS 9: | Confined to bed. Can still communicate and eat |
And among those who continue working, cognitive difficulties and fatigue are the main reasons for reduced productivity at work.1,2
Click on a pill button to learn more about cognitive impairment in MS and
how it is measured
70%
of respondents reported fatigue as a reason for reduced work productivity 34%
of respondents reported cognitive difficulties as a reason for reduced work productivity
of respondents reported fatigue as a reason for reduced work productivity 34%
of respondents reported cognitive difficulties as a reason for reduced work productivity
- Fatigue
- Cognitive difficulties
The negative impact on fatigue and cognition was evident, even in people with mild MS
Adapted from Kobelt G, et al. 2017.
Adapted from Kobelt G, et al. 2019.
Biogen-105037.
Date of preparation: April 2021.
References:
1. Kobelt G, Langdon D, Jönsson L. The effect of self-assessed fatigue and subjective cognitive impairment on work capacity: The case of multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler. 2019;25(5):740-749.
2. Kobelt G, Thompson A, Berg J, et al. New insights into the burden and costs of multiple sclerosis in Europe. Mult Scler. 2017;23(8):1123-1136.