Motor and cognitive changes across 2 years: a longitudinal study in early Multiple Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Functional disorders are early indicators in multiple sclerosis (MS), impacting quality of life.
• Longitudinal data on functional deterioration using clinical and instrumented tools in MS is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess functional deterioration in early multiple sclerosis (MS) over a two-year period.
• To evaluate the utility of instrumented assessments in detecting subtle functional changes in MS.

Main Methods:

• Included 63 participants with early MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale ≤2.5, disease duration ≤5 years).
• Assessed participants at baseline and after 2 years using clinical scales (EDSS, 6MWT, MSWS-12, FSS, SDMT) and wearable device data.
• Instrumented data included gait symmetry, regularity, instability, and balance disorder metrics.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant deterioration was observed in clinical scales (EDSS, 6MWT, FSS, MSWS-12, SDMT) over two years.
• Instrumented measures of gait and balance also showed no significant changes between baseline and follow-up.
• Functional stability was maintained in early MS patients over the study period.

Conclusions:

• Contrary to hypothesis, subtle functional deteriorations were not detected in early MS over two years.
• Both clinical and instrumented assessments indicated functional stability in this cohort.
• Further research may be needed to understand long-term functional trajectories in MS.