Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026
Home-Based Monitor for Gait and Activity Analysis
Published on: August 8, 2019
Accelerometry and its association with objective markers of walking limitations in ambulatory adults with multiple
Robert W Motl1, Deirdre Dlugonski, Yoojin Suh
1Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61801, USA. robmotl@uiuc.edu
Objective:
To validate accelerometry based on its correlations with 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) and oxygen cost of walking as objective markers of walking limitations in multiple sclerosis (MS).
Design:
Cross-sectional.
Setting:
Laboratory and general community.
Participants:
Ambulatory participants with MS (N=26) who resided in the local community.
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) scale and Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 (MSWS-12); 6-minute walk test while wearing a portable metabolic unit for measuring the 6MWD and oxygen cost of walking; accelerometer during the waking hours of a 7-day period.
Results:
The average of total daily movement counts from the accelerometer correlated significantly and strongly with MSWS-12 scores (ρ=-.681, P=.001), PDDS scores (ρ=-.609, P=.001), 6MWD (ρ=.519, P=.003), and oxygen cost of walking (ρ=-.541, P=.002).
Conclusions:
We provide evidence that further supports the validity of accelerometry as a measure of walking limitations in ambulatory persons with MS.
