Abstract
Spasticity, fatigue, muscle weakness and changes in gait are some of the main motor symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). These changes can interfere with the patients' quality of life. To characterize the motor and quality of life symptoms in patients with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis at a specialized center. Fifty five patients at the Neuroimmunology Outpatient Clinic of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre were evaluated for fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale - FSS), walking ability (Functional Ambulation Categories - FAC), impact of MS on walking (Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 - MSWS-12), walking speed (10-Meter Walk Test - 10MWT and the Times 25-foot Walk test - T25FW), functional independence (Barthel Index - BI), functional mobility (Timed Up and Go - TUG), and quality of life (Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale - MSIS-29). The patients were mostly women (69.1%), with average age of 43.3 (±12.1) years old, with time since diagnosis of 8.2 (±5.3) years, and EDSS average of 4.3 (±1.3). On the BI, the mean was 96.6 (±5.7) points and 80% of the patients had FAC 5. At MSIS-29, patients had a higher average score on the psychological scale (19.5±26.7) than on the physical scale (10.2±23.6). Most patients (69.1%) presented fatigue. The patients had preserved functional independence and functional walking ability and presence of fatigue. There was minimal impact of MS on patients' quality of life.
Highlights
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is traditionally considered to be a chronic and autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS)[1]
Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) often have impaired walking ability and gait speed, which may be related to increasing functional mobility limitations, the presence of spastic patterns, and to a decrease in overall motor performance, as well as lack of coordination, imbalance and ataxic gait, which are some of the changes that most influence the quality of life of patients with MS6
The goal of this study was to characterize patients diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS and being treated at the Neuroimmunology Outpatient Clinic of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), regarding fatigue, functional mobility, walking ability, walking speed, and functional independence, as well as quality of life
Summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is traditionally considered to be a chronic and autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS)[1] In many countries, it is the leading cause of non-traumatic neurological disability in young adults. Most individuals with MS (85%) start to present a clinical pattern with flare-up episodes and may present spasticity, fatigue, muscle weakness, and gait and balance disorders as the main motor symptoms[5]. Spasticity, fatigue, muscle weakness and changes in gait are some of the main motor symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). These changes can interfere with the patients’ quality of life. Objective: To characterize the motor and quality of life symptoms in patients with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis at a specialized center. There was minimal impact of MS on patients’ quality of life
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