Reliability of RT3 accelerometer for measuring mobility in people with multiple sclerosis: pilot study.

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Neurology

Background:

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease affecting mobility.
• Accurate measurement of motion is crucial for assessing disability and treatment efficacy in MS.
• Wearable accelerometers offer a potential tool for objective motion analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the test-retest reliability of the RT3 accelerometer for measuring motion in individuals with MS.
• To compare the reliability of the RT3 accelerometer between people with MS and a non-disabled control group.

Main Methods:

• Ten individuals with MS and ten non-disabled controls participated in the pilot study.
• Participants wore an RT3 accelerometer while performing three mobility tasks (5-minute walk, timed up and go, stair climbing) on two separate occasions.
• Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to assess test-retest reliability.

Main Results:

• The RT3 accelerometer demonstrated moderate to good reliability for the 5-minute walk test (ICC=0.64) and stair-climbing task (ICC=0.76) in the MS group.
• Reliability for the timed up and go test was lower in the MS group (ICC=0.50).
• Inconsistencies in motor task performance were observed in both groups, suggesting potential measurement error.

Conclusions:

• The RT3 accelerometer shows promise for stable motion data collection during walking in people with MS.
• Further research is needed to optimize RT3 attachment methods for improved participant-friendliness and data stability.
• Addressing performance variability in motor tasks is essential for future MS mobility studies.