The following is a summary of “Relationship between sensation and balance and gait in multiple sclerosis patients with mild disability,” published in the May 2024 issue of Neurology by Ozkul et al.
Sensory deficits, including those affecting balance and movement, are common among patients with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS).
Researchers conducted a retrospective study comparing foot plantar sensations, knee position sense, balance, and gait in PwMS with Healthy Individuals (HI) to investigate the relationships between these aspects in PwMS.
They involved 30 PwMS experiencing mild disability and 10 HI. The study examined parameters including light touch threshold, two-point discrimination, vibration duration, and knee position sense on the Dominant Side (DS) and Non-Dominant Side (NDS). Additionally, balance and spatio-temporal gait analysis in all participants were evaluated.
The results showed that PwMS exhibited higher postural sway with eyes closed on a foam surface and specific gait alterations compared to HI (P<0.05). Additionally, regression analysis revealed associations between sensory thresholds, postural sway, and various gait parameters (P<0.05). In contrast, the light touch thresholds of the 1st and 5st toes, two-point discrimination of the heel, vibration duration of the 1st metatarsal head and knee position sense of the NDS, and light touch threshold in the medial arch of both sides were associated with the gait parameters (P<0.05).
Investigators concluded that PwMS, even with mild disabilities, may benefit from neurorehabilitation to enhance plantar sensation and knee position sense.
Source: msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(24)00267-0/abstract