The effect of psychological training along with gradual muscle relaxation technique on anxiety, stress, depression and IL-10, IL-6, IL-17, Cortisol in multiple sclerosis patients

Background and purpose: This study aimed at assessing the effect of Psychological Training along with Gradual Muscle Relaxation Technique (PTGMRT) on the stress, depression and anxiety as well as some immunologic factors among multiple sclerosis patients.Methods: In this triple blind controlled clinical trial, 60 randomly selected MS patients were recruited. Patients were randomly divided into the two equal groups of trial and control. The trial group received a total of 12 sessions of PTGMRT (2 sessions per week). Data were collected using demographic, stress, depression, and anxiety questionnaires and ELISA test was used for measuring serum level of IL-10, IL-6, IL-17. Cortisol was measured in 3 occasions as before, immediately after and 3 month after training. Statistical tests including chi-squared test, Fisher, T, Pearson correlation, and repeated measures were applied. Results: There was no difference between groups based on stress, depression, anxiety and the serum level of IL-6, IL-17, IL-10, cortisol, before training (p> 0.05). However, the scores of stress, depression and anxiety in the trial and control group, were significantly different both n the two occasions of immediately after and 3 months after intervention (p<0.001). Repeated Measures method showed a significant reduction of stress, depression, anxiety, serum levels of IL-6, IL-17, IL-10, and cortisol in the training group in the three occasions (P<0.00001) compared to the control group.Conclusions: PTGMRT has improved the stress, depression, anxiety and has reduced serum level of IL-6, IL-17, IL-10 and cortisol in MS patients.

کلیدواژه ها:

Multiple sclerosis ، psychological training ، gradual muscle relaxation ، stress ، depression ، anxiety ، immunologic factors ، cortisol.