Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 14, 2026
The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test MSPT: An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool
Published on: June 30, 2014
Clinical course in multiple sclerosis patients presenting with a history of progressive disease
K S Pandey1, S C Krieger1, C Farrell1
1Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, The Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 5 East 98th Street, Box 1138, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Objectives:
Determine the likelihood of worsening clinical status in the near-term course of progressive MS and evaluate the predictive validity of our diagnostic impression of progressive forms of MS.
Methods:
Retrospective review of charts from 175 patients seen between 2000 and 2007 who were diagnosed with either primary or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Data extracted included demographic factors, neurological examination findings to determine EDSS, timed 25 foot walk (T25FW) when available, duration of symptoms, clinical course as documented on initial visit, and history of disease-modifying agent (DMA) use. Significant change in EDSS was defined as a change of one point or more from initial to final clinical evaluation. Significant change in T25FW was defined as a ±20% difference from baseline.
Results:
Of the 175 charts reviewed, 35 patients met criteria and had sufficient documentation to allow for EDSS abstraction. Twenty-four patients (68.6%) showed no significant change in EDSS from baseline while eleven patients (31.4%) worsened and none improved. For those patients that had T25FW data available, 6 out of 20 (30%) patients worsened while 11 (55%) showed no change. Three patients (15%) improved.
Conclusion:
In this observational study at a tertiary care MS center, patients classified as progressive MS did not progress as often, or as rapidly, as previous studies have suggested. Greater than two-thirds of patients in this cohort, did not increase 1 step on the EDSS.
Insights
In progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), this study found that over two-thirds of patients did not experience significant worsening on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). This suggests slower progression than previously reported in progressive MS cohorts.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Clinical Research
- Multiple Sclerosis
Background:
- Progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are characterized by continuous neurological decline.
- Accurate prediction of disease worsening is crucial for patient management and therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the likelihood of clinical status worsening in patients with progressive MS.
- To evaluate the predictive validity of the diagnostic impression of progressive MS forms.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 175 patients diagnosed with primary or secondary progressive MS between 2000 and 2007.
- Data included demographics, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Timed 25-foot Walk (T25FW), symptom duration, and disease-modifying agent (DMA) use.
- Significant change defined as ≥1 point EDSS change or ±20% T25FW difference.
Main Results:
- Out of 35 patients with sufficient data, 31.4% (11/35) showed worsening EDSS scores, while 68.6% (24/35) remained stable.
- For T25FW, 30% (6/20) worsened, 55% (11/20) remained stable, and 15% (3/20) improved.
- The majority of patients in this cohort did not exhibit significant clinical progression.
Conclusions:
- Patients diagnosed with progressive MS at a tertiary care center showed less frequent and slower progression than suggested by prior literature.
- Over two-thirds of the study cohort did not advance one step on the EDSS, indicating a potentially more stable disease course for some.
- Findings suggest a need to refine prognostic models for progressive MS.
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