Locomotor Strategy to Perform 6-Minute Walk Test in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Prospective Observational Study

Two-thirds of people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) have walking disabilities. Considering the literature, prolonged tests, such as the 6 min walk test, better reflect their everyday life walking capacities and endurance. However, in most studies, only the distance traveled during the 6MWT was measured. This study aims to analyze spatio-temporal (ST) walking patterns of PwMS and healthy people in the 6MWT. Participants performed a 6MWT with measures of five ST variables during three 1 min intervals (initial: 0'-1', middle: 2'30″-3'30″, end: 5'-6') of the 6MWT, using the GAITRite system. Forty-five PwMS and 24 healthy people were included. We observed in PwMS significant changes between initial and final intervals for all ST parameters, whereas healthy people had a rebound pattern but the changes between intervals were rather negligible. Moreover, ST variables' changes were superior to the standard measurement error only for PwMS between initial and final intervals for all ST parameters. This result suggests that the modification in PwMS' walking pattern is effectively due to their walking ability and not to a measurement, and suggests that PwMS could not manage their walking efficiently compared to healthy people, who could maintain their rhythm throughout the 6MWT. Further studies are needed to detect these patterns changes in the early evolution of the disease, identify clinical determinants involved in PwMS' walking pattern, and investigate whether interventions can positively impact this pattern.