Cognition and proprioception in persons with multiple sclerosis and healthy controls: Nascent findings

Although proprioception and cognitive dysfunction are commonly associated with balance impairment and fall risk in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), the relationship between cognitive functioning and a quantitative measure of proprioception has not been examined in MS.

The primary goals of this study were to determine differences in vibratory sensation, a proxy measure of proprioception between persons with MS and healthy controls, examine relationships between cognition and vibration sensation, and determine the contribution of cognitive function and demographics to vibratory sensation between persons with MS and healthy controls.

One hundred and twenty-two individuals with MS, aged 20-60, with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores ≤5.5 and 48 healthy controls completed reaction time testing, the Stroop test and lower extremity vibratory sensation.

Persons with MS performed significantly worse than controls on measures of vibratory sensation (p = 0.001), two-choice reaction time (p = 0.018), and Stroop Incongruent (p < 0.001) Relative Incongruent Score (RIS) (p = 0.047). In MS, average vibration was significantly related to age (p = 0.002), sex (p = 0.038), disease severity (EDSS; p < 0.001), years since diagnosis (p = 0.016), and Stroop Word (p = 0.041). A model with demographics; including age and disease severity, two-choice reaction time, and RIS explained 33.2% of the variance vibratory sensation in persons with MS.

These results provide early evidence for the relation between cognitive functioning and proprioception in persons with MS and add to prior work linking cognitive functioning, postural control and falls in persons with MS. This work provides a basis for future studies combining quantitative measures of proprioception and cognitive and postural control assessment to improve fall prediction.