Motor and Non-Motor Factors of Concern About Falling and Fear of Falling in Multiple Sclerosis

Despite the frequency of concern about falling (CAF) and fear of falling (FOF) in multiple sclerosis (MS), there remains a lack of clarity between FOF and CAF, though persons with MS have indicated that CAF and FOF are distinct constructs. Our team previously developed and validated a new questionnaire, the Concern and Fear of Falling Evaluation (CAFFE), to assess these concepts. This study aimed to examine CAF and FOF prevalence, and determine relationships among CAF, FOF, and self-reported motor, cognitive, and psychological function in MS relapsing (RRMS) and progressive (PMS) subtypes.

In a single online survey, participants with MS completed questions about CAF and FOF, demographic information, the CAFFE, and self-report measures of motor, cognitive, and psychological function.

A total of 912 individuals completed the survey. Persons with PMS reported greater CAF (80.1%) and FOF (59.1%) than those with RRMS (57.0% and 41.6%, respectively). Persons with PMS endorsing FOF (yes/no) reported greater FOF on the CAFFE, greater avoidance behavior, greater walking impairment, and poorer motor function than people with RRMS ( P < 0.001). Self-reported motor function, walking impairment, and avoidance behavior were highly correlated to the CAFFE across the overall sample ( P < 0.001).

These findings underscore the disparity between CAF and FOF, emphasize the importance of evaluating CAF and FOF in MS subtypes separately, and highlight both motor and non-motor factors contributing to CAF and FOF. Future work should focus on interventions that incorporate motor, cognitive, and psychological components to address CAF and FOF.

for more insights from the authors Supplemental Digital Content available at http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A481 .