Using the Instrumented Sway System (ISway) to Identify and Compare Balance Domain Deficits in People With Multiple...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease affecting balance and increasing fall risk.
• Understanding MS-specific balance impairments is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
• Existing balance models may not fully capture the nuances of postural control deficits in people with MS (PwMS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a multiple sclerosis-specific model of balance using factor analysis.
• To compare balance performance between PwMS and neurotypical controls.
• To investigate balance differences between PwMS with a fall history (MS-F) and those without (MS-NF).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 118 PwMS and 46 neurotypical controls.
• Balance was assessed using the instrumented sway system (ISway), measuring 22 sway parameters.
• Exploratory factor analysis was employed to identify underlying balance domains.

Main Results:

• A 3-factor balance model was identified, explaining 81.66% of balance variance.
• PwMS demonstrated significantly worse performance in the sway amplitude and velocity domain compared to controls (P=.003).
• MS-F individuals showed significantly poorer performance in the sway velocity and amplitude domain than MS-NF individuals (P=.046).

Conclusions:

• A 3-factor balance model specific to MS was established.
• Impaired sway amplitude and velocity are key balance deficits in PwMS, particularly those with a history of falls.
• This model can aid in identifying specific postural stability targets for therapeutic interventions in MS.