Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32741033›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of neurology2020

Stressful life events are associated with the risk of multiple sclerosis.

X Jiang, T Olsson, J Hillert, I Kockum, L Alfredsson

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of neurology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Self-mastery buffers associations between stressful life events and mental quality of life and fatigue in people living with multiple sclerosis.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Article
  2. Preventive strategies in neuroimmunology.Neurological research and practice · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

X JiangDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute and Centrum for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-5878-8986
T OlssonDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute and Centrum for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
J HillertDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute and Centrum for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
I KockumDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute and Centrum for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
L AlfredssonDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute and Centrum for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeUnexpected stressful life events may alter immune function and affect susceptibility to autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS). Current results from epidemiological investigations examining the role of stress in MS remain inconsistent. The aim was to conduct the hitherto largest population-based case-control study on this topic.

methodsExtensive questionnaire information collected on lifestyle environmental factors available for 2930 incident MS cases and 6170 controls were used to assess the association of 10 major life events that had occurred before disease onset with the risk of MS by unconditional logistic regressions, adjusting for potential confounders. Stratified analyses were also performed by sex and time.

resultsCompelling evidence was found for a link between major life events and risk of MS - most events significantly increased disease risk by 17%-30%. It was further observed that women were affected to a greater extent than men under certain stressful scenarios, and that most events that happened recently (≤5 years prior to MS onset) had significant effects on MS, indicating a critical window in disease development.

conclusionStressful life events may have an adverse effect on the risk of MS. Research into the mechanisms of this observation may give important clues to triggering pathogenetic events in MS.

Indexed as

Multiple SclerosisCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansLife StyleMaleRisk FactorsStress, PsychologicalSurveys and Questionnairesassociation studyepidemiologymajor life changesmultiple sclerosisnegative eventsrisksex disparitystress

Identifiers

PMID32741033
PMCPMC7692913

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.