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While balance and gait limitations are hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS), standard stopwatchtimed measures practical for use in the clinic are insensitive in minimally affected patients. This prevents early detection and intervention for mobility problems. The study sought to determine if body-worn sensors could detect differences in balance and gait between people with MS with normal walking speeds and healthy controls. Thirty-one MS and twenty-eight age- and sexmatched control subjects were tested using body-worn sensors both during quiet stance and gait (Timed Up and Go test, TUG). Results were compared to stopwatch-timed measures. Stopwatch durations of the TUG and Timed 25 Foot Walk tests were not significantly different between groups. However, during quiet stance with eyes closed, people with MS had significantly greater sway acceleration amplitude than controls (p = 0.02). During gait, people with MS had greater trunk angular range of motion in roll (medio-lateral flexion, p = 0.017) and yaw (axial rotation, p = 0.026) planes. Turning duration through 180° was also longer in MS (p = 0.031). Thus, bodyworn motion sensors detected mobility differences between MS and healthy controls when traditional timed tests could not. This portable technology provides objective and quantitative mobility data previously not obtainable in the clinic, and may prove a useful outcome measure for early mobility changes in MS.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	gait multiple sclerosis balance
Research Division:	Health Sciences
Research Group:	Sports science and exercise
Research Field:	Motor control
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical health
Objective Field:	Clinical health not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	St George, RJ (Dr Rebecca St George)
ID Code:	116322
Year Published:	2012
Web of Science® Times Cited:	191
Deposited By:	Psychology
Deposited On:	2017-05-05
Last Modified:	2017-10-31
Downloads:	129 View Download Statistics