Cognitive Contributors of Backward Walking in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at an increased fall risk due to motor and cognitive dysfunction. Our past studies suggest that backward walking (BW) velocity predicts fall risk; however, specific cognitive domains associated with BW velocity remain understudied. The goal of this study was to determine the specific contributions of cognitive functioning to BW velocity in persons with MS. We hypothesized that better visuospatial memory, verbal immediate recall, and faster information processing speed would contribute to faster BW velocity, and deficits in these domains would partially account for disease severity-related impairment in BW velocity.

Participants completed demographic questionnaires, walking tests, and cognitive assessments. Applied structural equation modeling was used to test our hypothesized model of competing cognitive mediators. Within the model, disease severity was a predictor of BW via three intercorrelated cognitive mediators.

Participants included 39 individuals with relapsing-remitting MS. Results indicated that 35.3% of the significant total effect of disease severity on BW was accounted for by specific cognitive deficits. Verbal immediate recall had the largest contribution, followed by visuospatial memory and information processing speed.

When examining the unique effects of cognitive domains on disease severity-related deficits in BW, a meaningful source of impairment related to visuospatial memory and verbal immediate recall was demonstrated. Considering the utility of BW velocity as a predictor of falls, these results highlight the importance of assessing cognition when evaluating fall risk in MS. Cognitive-based intervention studies investigating fall prevention may find BW as a more specific and sensitive predictor of fall risk than forward walking.