Abstract
Abstract Introduction: The Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) is a scale that evaluates the functional and cognitive aspects of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: To compare the performance of individuals with the relapsing-remitting form of MS (RRMS) with a group of healthy subjects using the MSFC. Methods: Twenty subjects were investigated in this study, consisting of 10 patients with clinical diagnosis of RRMS and 10 controls with similar gender and age to the group with the disease. The three tests that comprise the MSFC were used for the evaluation of gait, upper limb motor function and cognition (memory and processing speed). Student's t-test was used to assess data with normal distribution and data with skewed distribution were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney test. Results: The results showed that the patients with RRMS took longer to perform the locomotion test (6.91 ± 2.35) compared to the control group (5.16 ± 1.28). The MS group (22.06 ± 5.44) also showed greater difficulty in performing a task with the dominant upper limb compared to the healthy subjects (17.79 ± 2.96). No statistically significant difference was found between the groups in the performance of cognitive tasks (p = .65). Conclusion: The use of the MSFC tests proved valuable for measuring possible motor and cognitive impairments in patients with RRMS. Thus, it is suggested that this scale is adopted in clinical practice, improving therapies for the treatment of MS patients and thereby providing them a better quality of life.
Highlights
The Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) is a scale that evaluates the functional and cognitive aspects of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS)
In the search for alternatives to assess the main de icits and the evolution of the condition of patients with MS, this study aimed to compare the performance of individuals with the relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis with healthy subjects in the functional and cognitive tasks required by the MSFC, seeking, through these tests, to ind the main neurological compromises of MS patients in the remission phase
In studies conducted by Solari et al [36] it was observed that people with MS presented dif iculties in the learning process to carry out the task required in the Timed 25-Foot Walk, this may be an effective test to monitor the progress of patients, since the results of the present study show that in the relapsing-remitting phase there is already a signi icant reduction in the walking speed of MS patients when compared with healthy subjects
Summary
The Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) is a scale that evaluates the functional and cognitive aspects of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Conclusion: The use of the MSFC tests proved valuable for measuring possible motor and cognitive impairments in patients with RRMS. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an in lammatory autoimmune disease characterized by demyelinating lesions in the central nervous system (CNS), which has a slow and progressive course with periods of remission and exacerbation of the neurologic symptoms [1, 2]. It can affect motor, sensory, cerebellar, cognitive, sphincter and spinal cord areas [3]. The relapsing-remitting form is present in about 80% of cases, characterized by relapses with new or worsening of symptoms, interspersed with periods of complete or partial remission of symptoms between the relapses [9]
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