Evaluation of the association between depression and knee osteoarthritis

• Grant number: 11/18778-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Império Lombardi Júnior
• Grantee: Aline Crispim de Aquino
• Host Institution: Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade (ISS). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common rheumatic disease and occurs as a result of articular cartilage degeneration. The osteoarthritis's most affected area is the knee joint, it is estimated that about 6% of adults over 30 years, with an increased prevalence of 10% in people over 55 years of age have OA in this joint. The population aging cause the increasing prevalence of OA, and it has a huge economic impact consequences. Pain and disability are major problems in patients with knee OA leading decreased well-being and quality of life. Depression is considered a problem of public health and one of the diseases with most concern around the world. Depression and chronic diseases have been noted together often. Depression's impact on OA is great, since it has influence in two major joint symptoms: pain and disability. However, depression and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis association is not well characterized. The objective is investigate the association between depression and knee OA focusing on the relationship between the signs of knee OA magnitude, assessed by radiographic examination, and levels of depression. Also we will investigate the relationship of the time when beging the symptoms of knee OA and levels of depression. Research volunteers will be selected at ambulatory of rheumatology of UNIMES (Metropolitan University of Santos), counting on a control group with 34 subjects in each group. Severity of knee OA will be assessed by radiographs following Kellgren-Lawrence criteria. WOMAC Questionnaire (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) will be used to evaluate the OA, and the questionnaire of quality of life Short Form-36 (SF-36). Depression is diagnosed using the Brazilian version of the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD), whose evaluation will be done through the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). (AU)