Table 1.
Demographics and clinical characteristics of the participants
| Characteristic | Asymptomatic n = 1378 | MS n = 115 | P-valuea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD), y | 37.85 (8.34) | 43.14 (7.60) | < 0.001 |
| Male sex, no. (%) | 269 (19.5) | 19 (16.5) | 0.51 |
| Years of education, median [IQR] | 16 [16,18] | 16 [15,18] | 0.18 |
| Married, no. (%) | 914 (66.7) | 86 (76.1) | 0.051 |
| Living alone, no. (%) | 198 (13.4) | 12 (10.4) | 0.45 |
| Age of onset of MS symptoms, mean (SD) | NA | 30.50 (8.70) | NA |
| Age of diagnosis of MS, mean (SD) | NA | 34.36 (7.74) | NA |
| MSRS-R, median [IQR] | 1.00 [1.00, 2.00] | 7.00 [3.00, 11.00] | < 0.001 |
aP-values calculated using t test for age; chi-squared test for female sex, married, and living alone; and Wilcoxon signed-rank test for years of education and MS rating scale score-revised (MSRS-R)