scholarly journals Stride-Time Variability and Fall Risk in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaejin Moon ◽  
Douglas A. Wajda ◽  
Robert W. Motl ◽  
Jacob J. Sosnoff

Gait variability is associated with falls in clinical populations. However, gait variability’s link to falls in persons with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) is not well established. This investigation examined the relationship between stride-time variability, fall risk, and physiological fall risk factors in PwMS. 17 PwMS (62.8±7.4years) and 17 age-matched controls (62.8±5.9years) performed the 6-minute walk test. Stride-time was assessed with accelerometers attached to the participants’ shanks. Stride-time variability was measured by interstride coefficient of variation (CV) of stride-time. The participant’s fall risk was measured by the short form physiological profile assessment (PPA). A Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between variables. Increased fall risk was strongly associated with increased stride-time CV in both PwMS (ρ=0.71,p<0.01) and the controls (ρ=0.67,p<0.01). Fall risk was not correlated with average stride-time (p>0.05). In PwMS, stride-time CV was related to postural sway (ρ=0.74,p<0.01) while in the control group, it was related to proprioception (ρ=0.61,p<0.01) and postural sway (ρ=0.78,p<0.01). Current observations suggest that gait variability is maybe more sensitive marker of fall risk than average gait parameters in PwMS. It was also noted that postural sway may be potentially targeted to modify gait variability in PwMS.

Medicina ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasa Liutkevičienė ◽  
Alvita Vilkevičiūtė ◽  
Mantas Banevičus ◽  
Raminta Miežytė ◽  
Loresa Kriaučiūnienė

Background and objective: Optic neuritis (ON) is characterized by painful, usually monocular vision loss with decreased visual acuity and defects of the visual field and color vision. The etiology and pathophysiology of ON is not completely clear. It is thought that a matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) gene plays an essential role in this autoimmune inflammatory disease. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the MMP-2 (-1306 C/T) rs243865 gene polymorphism and ON, and that of ON with multiple sclerosis. Materials and methods: Patients with ON/ON and multiple sclerosis and a control group of healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. The genotyping test of the MMP-2 (-1306 C/T) was carried out using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Results: Analysis revealed that T allele at the MMP-2 (-1306 C/T) was less frequent in the ON group compared to the control group (14.5% vs. 23.3%, p = 0.031), and was associated with decreased likelihood of ON development (OR = 0.566; 95% CI: 0.333-0.962; p = 0.036). No significant associations were revealed while comparing the subgroups of ON patients with and without multiple sclerosis. Conclusion: The MMP-2 (-1306 C/T) gene polymorphism was found to be associated with ON development.


2016 ◽  
Vol 123 (6) ◽  
pp. 595-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Allali ◽  
Magali Laidet ◽  
Stéphane Armand ◽  
Charlotte Elsworth-Edelsten ◽  
Frédéric Assal ◽  
...  

Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 596
Author(s):  
Greta Veličkaitė ◽  
Neringa Jucevičiūtė ◽  
Renata Balnytė ◽  
Ovidijus Laucius ◽  
Antanas Vaitkus

Background and objectives: Even though pain in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is common and possibly associated with reduced quality of life, its exact prevalence and characteristics remain vaguely understood. We aimed to estimate the true extent of pain and its associations with quality of life in Lithuanian MS patients and to compare this data with that of a control group. Materials and Methods: Data were collected prospectively at the Department of Neurology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics. A face-to-face structured interview and a questionnaire were used to collect demographic and clinical data of the MS (n = 120) and control (n = 120) groups. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was used to quantify disability in the MS group. Scores ≥4/10 in the Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire were classified as neuropathic pain. Patients were evaluated using the anxiety and depression subsets of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A and HADS-D), the physical and mental component subsets of the Short Form-12 questionnaire (PSC-12 and MSC-12). Results: The MS and control groups did not differ in pain prevalence (76.7% vs. 65.9%, p = 0.064) or intensity. Lhermitte sign, lower limb, and face pain were more common in the MS group, whereas subjects in the control group were more often affected by lower back, neck, and joint pain. Neuropathic pain and pain lasting longer than 2 years were more common among pain-affected MS patients than among controls. MS patients with pain had higher EDSS, HADS-D, and HADS-A and lower PSC-12 scores than those without pain; however, no difference was found regarding the duration of MS or age. Males with MS and pain had higher MSC-12 and HADS-D scores in comparison to the same subset of females. Conclusions: Pain affects approximately three out of four patients with MS in Lithuania and is negatively associated with the mental and physical aspects of quality of life.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yael Goverover ◽  
Helen M. Genova ◽  
Angela Smith ◽  
Jeannie Lengenfelder ◽  
Nancy D. Chiaravalloti

Abstract Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) results in impairments in cognitive and motor skills, which may reduce the level of activity participation in people with MS. This study compares past and current levels of activity participation in adults with MS and controls. The relationship between retained activity participation (since diagnosis) and cognitive, motor, functional status, and depression symptoms of persons with MS was examined. Methods: Twenty-seven individuals with MS living in the community and 21 controls completed cognitive and motor tests and rated their activity participation (using the Activity Card Sort), depression symptoms, and functional status. Results: The MS group reported significantly lower current activity participation than the control group. Percentage of retained activity participation (from prediagnosis to current) in the MS group correlated with time since diagnosis, executive function and motor skill ability, depression symptoms, and current functional status. Conclusions: Persons with MS report negative changes in activity participation in most aspects of life after diagnosis. These findings call attention to changes in activity participation in people with MS that are directly related to disease symptoms. Therefore, using a quantitative measure of activity participation—the Activity Card Sort—can provide important information to aid the clinician in developing individualized treatment goals for people with MS.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron J Hicks ◽  
Pazit Levinger ◽  
Jasmine C Menant ◽  
Stephen R Lord ◽  
Perminder S Sachdev ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Pain is an independent risk factor for falling. One in two older community-dwelling people with musculoskeletal pain fall each year. This study examined physical, psychological and medical factors as potential mediators to explain the relationship between knee pain and falls.Methods Three hundred and thirty-three community-dwelling people aged 70+ years (52% women) participated in this cohort study with a 1-year follow-up for falls. Participants completed questionnaires (medical history, general health and concern about falls) and underwent physical performance tests. Participants were classified into ‘pain’ and ‘no pain’ groups based on self-reported knee pain. Poisson Regression models were computed to determine the Relative Risk (RR) of having multiple falls and potential mediators for increased fall risk.Results One hundred and eighteen (35.5%) participants were categorised as having knee pain. This group took more medications and had more medical conditions (P <0.01) compared to the no pain group. The pain group had poorer balance, physical function and strength and reported increased concern about falls. Sixty one participants (19.5%) reported ≥ 2 falls, with the pain group twice as likely to experience multiple falls over the 12 month follow up (RR = 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.27 – 3.13). Concern about falls, knee extension torque and postural sway with eyes closed were identified as significant and independent mediators of fall risk, and when combined explained 23% of the relationship between knee pain and falls.Conclusion This study has identified several medical, medication, psychological, sensorimotor, balance and mobility factors to be associated with knee pain, and found the presence of knee pain doubles the risk of multiple falls in older community living people. Alleviating knee pain, as well as addressing associated risk factors may assist in preventing falls in older people with knee pain.


2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482091266
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Szanton ◽  
Lindy Clemson ◽  
Minhui Liu ◽  
Laura N. Gitlin ◽  
Melissa D. Hladek ◽  
...  

Objectives: To evaluate whether a fall prevention intervention reduces fall risk in older adults who have previously fallen. Design: Randomized controlled pilot trial. Setting: Participants’ homes. Intervention: LIVE-LiFE, adapted from Lifestyle-Intervention Functional Exercise (LiFE) integrates strength and balance training into daily habits in eight visits over 12 weeks. The adaptations to LiFE were to also provide (a) US$500 in home safety changes, (b) vision contrast screening and referral, and (c) medication recommendations. Control condition consisted of fall prevention materials and individualized fall risk summary. Measurement: Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Tandem stand. Falls efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of the intervention. Results: Sample ( N = 37) was 65% female, 65% White, and average 77 years. Compared with the control group, each outcome improved in the intervention. The LIVE-LiFE intervention had a large effect (1.1) for tandem stand, moderate (0.5) in falls efficacy, and small (0.1) in the TUG. Conclusion: Simultaneously addressing preventable fall risk factors is feasible.


Author(s):  
Kyle McDermott ◽  
Cory Shaw ◽  
Jason Demchak ◽  
Mary Ann Holbein-Jenny

Functional stability limits have been proposed as a psychometric indicator of balance ability that could be used to incorporate stability constraints into ergonomic task analyses. Decreased functional stability limits are assumed to indicate decreased balance ability. These stability limits have been quantified for a young adult population. However, their validity as a measure of balance ability has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the construct validity of functional stability limits as a measure of balance ability by quantifying the relationship between these stability limits and age and other more common measures of stability. As hypothesized, functional stability limits decreased with age, were positively related to performance on the Multi-Directional Reach Test, a valid indicator of fall risk for the elderly, and were negatively related to postural sway. However, the strength of these relationships was only moderate; continued analysis is exploring possible explanations for these results.


2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 267-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Castro Costa ◽  
Maria José Sá ◽  
José Manuel Calheiros

ABSTRACT Objective To analyse the relationship between the social support network (SSN) and health related quality of life (HRQOL) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Methods The sample comprised 150 consecutive MS patients attending our MS clinic. To assess the socio-demographic data, a specifically designed questionnaire was applied. The HRQOL dimensions were measured with the Short-Form Health Survey Questionnaire-SF36 and the SSN with the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. Spearman’s correlation was used to compare the magnitude of the relationship between the SSN and HRQOL. Results The mean patient age was 41.7 years (± 10.4; range: 18–70 yr); the mean Expanded Disability Status Score was 2.5 (±2.4; range: 0–9). There was a statistically significant correlation between the structure of the SSN and the HRQOL. Conclusion The composition of the SSN, social group membership and participation in voluntary work have an important role in the HRQOL of patients with MS.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron J Hicks ◽  
Pazit Levinger ◽  
Jasmine C Menant ◽  
Stephen R Lord ◽  
Perminder S Sachdev ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Pain is an independent risk factor for falling. One in two older community-dwelling people with musculoskeletal pain fall each year. This study examined physical, psychological and medical factors as potential mediators to explain the relationship between knee pain and falls. Methods Three hundred and thirty-three community-dwelling people aged 70+ years (52% women) participated in this cohort study with a 1-year follow-up for falls. Participants completed questionnaires (medical history, general health and concern about falls) and underwent physical performance tests. Participants were classified into ‘pain’ and ‘no pain’ groups based on self-reported knee pain. Poisson Regression models were computed to determine the Relative Risk (RR) of having multiple falls and potential mediators for increased fall risk. Results One hundred and eighteen (35.5%) participants were categorised as having knee pain. This group took more medications and had more medical conditions (P <0.01) compared to the no pain group. The pain group had poorer balance, physical function and strength and reported increased concern about falls. Sixty one participants (19.5%) reported ≥ 2 falls, with the pain group twice as likely to experience multiple falls over the 12 month follow up (RR = 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.27 – 3.13). Concern about falls, knee extension torque and postural sway with eyes closed were identified as significant and independent mediators of fall risk, and when combined explained 23% of the relationship between knee pain and falls. Conclusion This study has identified several medical, medication, psychological, sensorimotor, balance and mobility factors to be associated with knee pain, and found the presence of knee pain doubles the risk of multiple falls in older community living people. Alleviating knee pain, as well as addressing associated risk factors may assist in preventing falls in older people with knee pain.


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