Under the hypothesis that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), even
in the relapse-free and handicap-free early stage of the disease, show
a picture of depressive complaints, we examined 10 young female MS-pa
tients from this early stage and 10 patients with idiopathic epilepsy
who had been matched for age, sex, occupational situation and severity
of the disease. In the course of consultation, they were presented sc
ales for clinical self-assessment (a scale for depressiveness, a list
of complaints and a scale for overall condition). On these scales, the
MS-patients partly stated a considerable degree of subjective impairm
ent by momentary and continuing depressiveness, and differed significa
ntly from the epilepsy patient's self-assessment. In accordance with o
ur hypothesis, this finding suggests a distinct depressiveness in the
very early and even handicap-free stage of MS.