TABLE 2.
Tabulation of population characteristics
| Author (year) | Number of participants (N), sex | Age years; mean (SD), sex | Control group population (N) and selection | Types of ACEs | Age of onset of MS years, mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eid et al. (2022) | 77,997 Females |
Exposed: 29 (5) Unexposed: 30 (5) |
63,520 Women not exposed to childhood abuse |
Emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse |
Exposed: 33 (6) Unexposed: 33 (7) |
| Horton et al. (2022) |
N = 2607 Males with MS (n = 298) Females MS (n = 1124) |
‐ |
1185 No MS diagnosed Male (n = 219) Female (n = 966) |
Death, remarriage, divorce of parents, the life‐threatening illness of parents. Physical, verbal abuse or neglect. Adopted or lived with other family members. The family lost home, a victim of a violent crime | ‐ |
| Shaw et al. (2017) |
N = 67 Males (n = 15) Females (n = 52) |
50.49 (10.67) | ‐ | Household dysfunction, Neglect, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse | 32.40 (11.67) |
| Eilam‐Stock et al. (2021) |
N = 31, Males (n = 6) Females (n = 25) |
33.84 | ‐ | Physical, verbal, or sexual abuse, mental illness, or substance abuse in the nuclear family, measured on a scale of 1–10 | ‐ |
| Spitzer et al. (2012) |
N = 1119, Males with MS (n = 63) Females with MS (n = 171) AGE MS group: 39.7 (7.1) |
MS group: 39.7 (7.1) Control group: Age: 41.2 (5.7) |
885 Healthy population without cognitive impairment Males (n = 373) Females (n = 512) |
Emotional, sexual, and physical abuse and emotional and physical neglect | 29.2 (7.8) |
| Pust et al. (2020) |
N = 571 Males (n = 133) Females (n = 438) AGE: 43.4 (10.9) |
43.4 (10.9) | ‐ | Emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect. | ‐ |
| Nielsen et al. (2014) |
N = 3260 NE Males (n = 713) E Males (n = 276) NE Females (n = 1645 NE) E Females (n = 626) |
‐ | ‐ | Stressful life events: Parental divorce, parental death; death of a sibling | ‐ |
| Briones‐Buixassa et al. (2019) |
N = 41 Males (n = 12) Females (n = 29) |
MS group: 48.48 (11.85) Control: 48.99 (12.02) years |
41 Males (n = 12) Females (n = 29) Age: 48.99 (12.02) years |
Early‐life stress: emotional and physical neglect; emotional, sexual, and physical abuse | 35.93 (10.71); Range = 12–62) |
| Eftekharian et al. (2016) |
N = 250 Males (n = 64) Females (n = 186) |
‐ |
250 Males (n = 69) Females (n = 181) |
Physical child abuse, head trauma, stress and anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, sudden shock related to bad news | N/A |
| Warren et al. (1982) |
N = 100, Males (n = 30) Females (n = 70) |
‐ |
100 Rheumatology patients (n = 30) Patients with neurologic conditions except for MS (n = 43) |
Emotional stress during childhood | 66% developed the initial symptoms in 20–39 years |
| Gunnarsson et al. (2015) | 628 Males | ‐ |
Males (n = 6187) (1:10 ratio between cases and healthy controls) |
Household crowding, parental occupation | ‐ |
MS: multiple sclerosis; E: exposed; NE: not exposed; OCD: obsessive‐compulsive disorder.