To assess the relationship between cognitive function and sleep-related and quality of life measures in ambulatory patients with peripheral neuropathy and myasthenia gravis.

Although the impact of sleep impairment and cognitive dysfunction is well-established, the interplay between subjective cognitive complaints, sleep, and stress in neuromuscular populations is limited. Pain catastrophizing, known to exacerbate pain and reduce quality of life, is poorly understood in relation to sleep disturbances in these populations.

The cross-sectional study included 32 participants with distal symmetric peripheral neuropathy and 16 participants with myasthenia gravis. Participants completed various assessments including the Neuro-QoL (Neuro-Quality-Of-Life) Cognition, Perceived Stress Scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Insomnia Severity Index. Mann-Whitney U tests and regression analyses were used, adjusting for demographic factors.

45.8% of participants enrolled were female (22/48) and 25% identified as non-white (12/48) with a mean age of 58.08 years (SD ± 16.9). Multivariate analyses revealed that perceived stress (p = 0.009), pain catastrophizing (β = 0.24, p = 0.002), daytime sleepiness (β = 0.692, p = 0.0008), and insomnia severity (β = 0.536, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with higher Neuro-QoL Cognitive Function T-scores indicating worse cognitive function related to QoL. Female sex (worse Neuro-QoL, p = 0.032) and body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.041) were significant predictors of perceived stress, while BMI (β = 0.37, p = 0.047) and being Non-White (β = 8.18, p = 0.036) were associated with pain catastrophizing.

Stress, pain, and sleep disturbances significantly influence subjective cognitive complaints in patients with neuromuscular conditions. These findings highlight the need for a comprehensive assessment of sleep disturbances and cognitive complaints in this population.