This study examined symptoms and functioning in the daily lives of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Common MS symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and depression may be associated with day-to-day functioning. The goal of this study was to learn more about the day-to-day experience of adults with MS to help us learn more about how to treat and prevent common MS symptoms and functional problems.

Publications:

How Do Pain, Fatigue, Depressive, and Cognitive Symptoms Relate to Well-Being and Social and Physical Functioning in the Daily Lives of Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis?
Kratz, A. L., Braley, T. J., Foxen-Craft, E., Scott, E., Murphy, J. F., 3rd, & Murphy, S. L. (2017). Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 98(11), 2160-2166.

Ecological Momentary Assessment of Pain, Fatigue, Depressive, and Cognitive Symptoms Reveals Significant Daily Variability in Multiple Sclerosis.
Kratz, A. L., Murphy, S. L., & Braley, T. J. (2017a). Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 98(11), 2142-2150. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2017.07.002

Pain, Fatigue, and Cognitive Symptoms Are Temporally Associated Within but Not Across Days in Multiple Sclerosis.
Kratz, A. L., Murphy, S. L., & Braley, T. J. (2017b). Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 98(11), 2151-2159. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2017.07.003

Chronic pain is a very serious and common problem for people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Unfortunately, pain is not adequately treated in SCI. Therefore, the search is on for new treatments that can help those with SCI to cope more effectively with their pain. The goal of this study was to open a window onto the day-to-day experiences of pain in adult with SCI, to help us develop better and more individualized self-management therapies for those with SCI who are struggling to cope with chronic pain. The University of Michigan was the lead site, collaborating with Wayne State University and University of Washington, to examine pain and pain coping in the day-to-day lives of adults with spinal cord injury. The purpose of this study is gather new information that will let us know how pain affects well-being and participation in people with spinal cord injury, and what types of coping are related to optimal adjustment to pain.

Publications:

Medicate or Meditate? Greater Pain Acceptance is Related to Lower Pain Medication Use in Persons With Chronic Pain and Spinal Cord Injury. 
Kratz, A. L., F. Murphy J, r., Kalpakjian, C. Z., & Chen, P. (2018). Clin J Pain, 34(4), 357-365.

Pain Acceptance Decouples the Momentary Associations Between Pain, Pain Interference, and Physical Activity in the Daily Lives of People With Chronic Pain and Spinal Cord Injury.
Kratz, A. L., Ehde, D. M., Bombardier, C. H., Kalpakjian, C. Z., & Hanks, R. A. (2017). J Pain, 18(3), 319-331. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2016.11.006

Are Intensive Data Collection Methods in Pain Research Feasible in Those With Physical Disability? A Study in Persons With Chronic Pain and Spinal Cord Injury.
Kratz, A. L., Kalpakjian, C. Z., & Hanks, R. A. (2017). Quality of Life Research, 26(3), 587-600.

Cognitive “fog” is characterized by problems with attention and memory and is reported in a number of different conditions, including fibromyalgia (“fibrofog”), cancer treated with chemotherapy (“chemofog”), depression, and multiple sclerosis.  The aim of this study was to examine subject and objective markers of cognitive dysfunction to determine whether there are similarities and/or differences in the nature of cognitive fog in these four clinical groups.

Many people with fibromyalgia report having problems with their thinking (cognition) during their daily lives; these thinking problems are commonly called “fibrofog”. However, little is known about the nature of fibrofog and how it is experienced in daily life. This study is designed to examine thinking in real-world settings in people with and without fibromyalgia. We expect the knowledge gained in this study to lead to new insights about the nature of fibrofog and better ways to help people with fibromyalgia effectively manage problems with fibrofog.

For many persons with MS, fatigue is the most debilitating symptom of the condition. This clinical trial, which was guided by feedback from persons with MS, MS providers, community organizations, and payers, compared the effectiveness of current options available: cognitive behavioral therapy alone, modafinil alone, or a combination of both. Results of this study will help patients, providers, and policy makers determine which patients with fatigue respond best to cognitive behavioral therapy or modafinil, and which persons with MS may benefit most from a combination of these treatments.