MSCopilot, a new multiple sclerosis self-assessment digital solution: results of a comparative study versus standard...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Medical Technology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Assessing disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) traditionally involves time-consuming hospital tests.
• MSCopilot offers a software-based solution for self-assessment of disability in patients with MS (PwMS).
• The tool integrates walking, dexterity, cognition, and low contrast vision tests.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate MSCopilot against the established Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) for assessing MS-related disability.
• To evaluate MSCopilot's ability to differentiate between patients with MS (PwMS) and healthy controls (HCs).
• To assess the reproducibility and clinical usability of MSCopilot.

Main Methods:

• A multicentre, open-label, randomized, controlled, crossover study.
• 141 PwMS and 76 HCs performed MSCopilot and MSFC tests.
• Reproducibility assessed by re-testing 46 PwMS after 30 days.

Main Results:

• MSCopilot demonstrated non-inferior performance to MSFC in identifying PwMS versus HCs (AUC 0.92 vs 0.89).
• MSCopilot achieved 81% sensitivity and 82% specificity; MSFC achieved 76% sensitivity and 88% specificity.
• High correlation (r=0.81) between MSCopilot and MSFC scores, and good test-retest reproducibility for MSCopilot.

Conclusions:

• MSCopilot is a reliable tool for the self-assessment of MS-related disability.
• The software is suitable for clinical practice, aiding in the monitoring of PwMS.
• MSCopilot offers a user-friendly and effective alternative for disability assessment in multiple sclerosis.