Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management on Distress Tolerance, Pain Perception and Interleukin-12 in MS Patients

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management (CBSM) on distress tolerance, pain perception, and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Method: The present study was a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest and follow-up with control group. The statistical population included all female patients with relapsing-remitting MS who had referred to Neuroscience and Rehabilitation Research Centers of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. 20 patients were selected by convenience sampling and were randomly assigned into experimental (10 patients) and control groups (10 patients). The experimental group received the CBSM. Participants completed scales. To measure IL-12, the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and Bonferroni post-hoc test. Results: CBSM increased the distress tolerance and components of pain perception (perceived influence of important people and doing daily affairs) (p <0.001) and it decreased pain severity and IL-12. Also, these changes remained stable during follow-up. Conclusions: CBSM is an effective to influence on distress tolerance, pain perception, and IL-12 in MS patients. Keywords