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Published on: March 11, 2021
Postural control in multiple sclerosis: effects of disability status and dual task
Morgan K Boes1, Jacob J Sosnoff, Michael J Socie
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Journal of the Neurological Sciences
|January 13, 2012
Summary
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients show worsening balance with cognitive tasks. Postural control declines with MS severity and is impaired by dual-tasking, regardless of disability level.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Science
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Persons with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) exhibit impaired postural control.
- Dual-tasking (performing a cognitive task during a balance task) negatively impacts postural control in PwMS with mild disability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effect of simultaneous cognitive task performance on postural control in PwMS with mild versus moderate disability.
- To investigate how different levels of disability in MS affect postural control during dual-tasking.
Main Methods:
- Forty-five PwMS were categorized into mild (EDSS: 2.0-3.5) and moderate (EDSS: 4.0-6.5) disability groups.
- Posturography was used to assess postural sway (median sway velocity, root mean square displacement, sway area) under quiet stance and during a word list generation (WLG) cognitive task (dual-task condition).
Main Results:
- The moderate disability group demonstrated significantly poorer postural control compared to the mild disability group.
- Postural sway increased in both groups during the dual-task condition.
- No significant interaction between task condition and disability group was observed for postural control measures.
Conclusions:
- Postural control deteriorates with increasing disability severity in PwMS.
- Concurrent cognitive tasks negatively affect postural control in PwMS.
- The impact of dual-tasking on balance control does not differ significantly between mild and moderate MS disability levels, contrasting with findings during walking tasks.
