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Updated: May 18, 2026
Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
Published on: November 7, 2014
Further validation of multiple sclerosis walking scale-12 scores based on spatiotemporal gait parameters
Lara A Pilutti1, Deirdre Dlugonski, Brian M Sandroff
1Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Objective:
To examine the association between Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 (MSWS-12) scores and spatiotemporal parameters of gait as indicators of gait quality among ambulatory persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
University research laboratory.
Participants:
Community-residing persons with MS (N=268).
Intervention:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
Main outcome measures included the MSWS-12 and spatial and temporal gait parameters (walking speed, cadence, step length, step time, base of support [ie, the distance between 1 footfall and the line of progression of the opposing foot], and percentage of gait cycle spent in double support). Secondary outcomes included the timed 25-foot walk (T25FW), 6-minute walk (6MW), and Patient-Determined Disease Steps scale.
Results:
MSWS-12 scores were significantly correlated with walking speed (r=-.59), cadence (r=-.50), step length (r=-.53), step time (r=.46), base of support (r=.29), and percentage of the gait cycle spent in double support (r=.54). MSWS-12 scores further were significantly correlated with T25FW (r=.57) and 6MW (r=-.75) scores.
Conclusions:
Such findings suggest that the MSWS-12 captures aspects of walking quality, assessed as spatiotemporal parameters of gait, in addition to walking speed and endurance in persons with MS.
