Primary treatment outcome: SF-36 subscale scores
|
Intervention Initial management by neurologist |
Control Immediate management by GP | Treatment comparison | ||||||||
| SF-36* subscales | N | Mean (SD) at baseline | Mean (SD) at 12 months | Mean (SD) change† | N | Mean (SD) at baseline | Mean (SD) at 12 months | Mean (SD) change† | Difference between mean change† (95% CI) | Treatment effect on 12-month outcome p value ‡ |
| Physical functioning | 97 | 53.78 (26.49) | 62.61 (30.41) | 8.83 (27.12) | 95 | 56.58 (25.78) | 64.42 (28.39) | 7.84 (22.01) | 0.99 (−6.05 to 8.03) | 0.99 |
| Physical role functioning | 97 | 19.33 (32.97) | 35.57 (41.90) | 16.24 (47.74) | 94 | 15.43 (28.89) | 37.23 (39.61) | 21.81 (44.49) | −5.57 (−18.75 to 7.61) | 0.63 |
| Bodily pain | 97 | 37.75 (27.05) | 49.55 (27.64) | 11.79 (24.20) | 94 | 40.74 (26.37) | 50.14 (25.40) | 9.39 (23.56) | 2.40 (−4.42 to 9.22) | 0.71 |
| Social functioning | 97 | 45.36 (30.10) | 60.82 (26.18) | 15.46 (30.29) | 95 | 47.50 (30.43) | 60.53 (28.38) | 13.03 (32.10) | 2.44 (−6.44 to 11.32). | 0.76 |
| Mental health | 97 | 62.27 (21.93) | 67.88 (19.74) | 5.61 (18.01) | 93 | 60.99 (22.54) | 68.67 (20.36) | 7.68 (18.31) | −2.07 (−7.27 to 3.13) | 0.51 |
| Emotional role functioning | 97 | 65.46 (44.50) | 63.23 (43.96) | −2.23 (56.30) | 93 | 49.10 (44.93) | 66.31 (42.70) | 17.20 (43.58) | −19.44 (−33.82 to −5.06) | 0.16 |
| Vitality | 97 | 42.42 (20.71) | 48.92 (21.06) | 6.49 (20.91) | 93 | 41.47 (20.92) | 48.92 (22.19) | 7.46 (21.02) | −0.96 (−6.96 to 5.04) | 0.83 |
| General health | 97 | 46.65 (20.65) | 50.33 (21.31) | 3.68 (18.85) | 93 | 47.47 (22.39) | 51.90 (24.17) | 4.43 (18.53) | −0.75 (−6.10 to 4.60) | 0.68 |
| Physical component summary | 96 | 32.78 (10.06) | 37.82 (12.42) | 5.04 (10.35) | 90 | 34.79 (10.69) | 38.08 (11.93) | 3.29 (9.15) | 1.75 (−1.08 to 4.58) | 0.40 |
| Mental component summary | 96 | 43.21 (13.21) | 44.71 (12.50) | 1.51 (13.16) | 90 | 40.26 (12.96) | 45.55 (11.30) | 5.29 (12.00) | −3.79 (−7.43 to −0.15) | 0.17 |
* Higher SF-36 scores indicate a better health-related quality of life.
†Reported mean changes and differences between mean changes may slightly differ from apparent differences due to rounding.
‡Treatment effects on the 12-month SF-36 scores were analysed using multivariable linear regression, including the baseline SF-36 scores and the stratification variable (type of functional symptom: pain, ‘pseudo’neurological symptoms and ‘positive’ sensory symptoms) into the models.
GP, general practitioner; SF-36, 36-Item Short Form Health Survery.