Abstract
Objectives. To examine the association between fall history and physical activity using an objective measure of physical activity (i.e., accelerometry) in persons with multiple sclerosis. Design. A community-based sample of 75 ambulatory persons with multiple sclerosis volunteered for the investigation. Participants self-reported fall history in the last year, underwent a neurological exam to determine Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, and wore an accelerometer around the waist for 7 consecutive days to determine physical activity. Results. Overall, 37 persons (49.3% of the sample) reported falling in the last year with 28 of the 37 falling more than once. Persons who fell in the last year had a significantly lower number of steps/day than nonfallers (3510 versus 4940 steps/day; P < .05). However, when controlling for disability status there was no statistically significant difference between fallers and nonfallers (4092 versus 4373 steps/day; P > .05). Conclusions. Collectively, the findings suggest that fall history may have little impact on current physical activity levels in persons with multiple sclerosis.
Highlights
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and disabling neurologic disease that is common among adults worldwide and in the United States
Injuries resulting from falls in persons with MS routinely require medical attention [6, 8, 9], and falls have been associated with activity curtailment and subsequent deconditioning [10, 11]
The current investigation examined the association between fall history and an objective measure of physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis
Summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and disabling neurologic disease that is common among adults worldwide and in the United States. The relapsing-remitting clinical disease course, accounting for nearly 85% of cases, involves episodes of focal inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) [1] that often result in demyelination and transection of axons This progressive axonal damage produces conduction delay along neuronal pathways throughout the CNS [2] and eventually results in heterogeneous symptoms including visual impairment, vertigo, impaired proprioception, decreased vibration sense, muscle weakness, and spasticity [3]. Given those symptoms, it is not surprising falls are common in persons with MS [4,5,6,7]. Another recent study documented that approximately 75% of communitydwelling persons with MS who have fallen in the last 6 months self-reported activity restriction due to concerns about falling [11]
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