Abstract
BackgroundFampridine improves walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, little is known about its impact on the quality of life (QoL) of pwMS.ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the contribution of fampridine on the QoL of pwMS and to determine if improvements in QoL are best associated with walk respondents.MethodsFifty pwMS were included in this study. The PERSEPP scale and the GaitRite system were used to evaluate QoL and gait respectively. QoL was evaluated 7 days before fampridine (Pre1), on the day the fampridine treatment was initiated (Pre2), and 14 and 21 days after fampridine (Post1 and Post2 respectively). Gait was assessed at Pre-1, Pre-2 and Post-1.ResultsFor all patients, fampridine had significant effects (p = 0.05–10−4, d = 0.25–0.45) on the Overall, Relationship difficulties, Fatigue, Time perspective and Symptoms QoL indices and for gait parameters (p = 0.05–10−4, d = 0.17–0.38). Non-respondents scored significant effects (p < 0.05–0.01, d = 0.32–0.41) for Overall, Time perspective and Symptoms QoL indices, whereas respondents scored significant effects (p < 0.05–0.01, d = 0.51–0.8) for Overall, Relationship difficulties, Fatigue and Symptoms.ConclusionThe QoL of pwMS improved after fampridine, suggesting a real benefit in their lives. However, the contributions to the overall QoL index seem different between groups.
Highlights
Fampridine improves walking in patients with multiple sclerosis
Since there is no known cure for Multiple sclerosis (MS), the main goals of treatment is to delay progression of the disease and to improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) by masking patients’ symptoms (Compston and Coles 2008)
By enhancing action-potential formation, more impulses might be conducted in the central nervous system (CNS) and neurological functions could be ameliorated (Jensen et al 2014; Hayes et al 2004)
Summary
Fampridine improves walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Since there is no known cure for MS, the main goals of treatment is to delay progression of the disease and to improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) by masking patients’ symptoms (Compston and Coles 2008). Studies have shown that MS symptomatic treatment by fampridine (4-aminopyridine) is associated with improvements in walking and muscle strength (Allart et al 2015; Rabadi et al 2013; Hobart et al 2013; Goodman et al 2009, 2010), and possibly with cognition (Jensen et al 2014), vision, fatigue and spasticity Improvement in walking velocity (≈25 % from baseline) was found for 35–43 % of the individuals in the interventional group
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