Outside the Laboratory Assessment of Upper Limb Laterality in Patients With Stroke: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The rehabilitation of upper limb sensorimotor performance after stroke requires the assessment of daily use, the identification of key levels of impairment, and monitoring the course of recovery. It needs to be answered, how laboratory-based assessments and everyday behavior are connected, which dimension of metrics, that is, volume, intensity, or quality, is most sensitive to reduced function, and what sensor, that is, gyroscope or accelerometer, is best suited to gather such data. METHODS: Performance in laboratory-based sensorimotor tests, as well as smartwatch-derived kinematic data of everyday life relative upper limb activity, during 1 day of inpatient neurorehabilitation (Germany, 2022) of 50 patients with stroke, was cross-sectionally assessed and resulting laterality indices (performance ratios) between the limbs were analyzed using ANCOVAs and principal component analysis. RESULTS: Laboratory-based tests revealed the strongest laterality indices, followed by smartwatch-based (intensity>quality>volume) metrics. Angular velocity-based metrics revealed higher laterality indices than acceleration-based ones. Laterality indices were overall well associated; however, a principal component analysis suggested upper limb impairments to be unidimensional. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the use of sensors can deliver valid information of stroke-related laterality. It appeared that commonly used metrics that estimate the volume of use (ie, energy expenditure) are not the most sensitive. Especially reached intensities could be well used for monitoring, because they are more dependent on the performance of the sensorimotor system and less on confounders like age. The unidimensionality of the upper limb laterality suggests that an impaired limb with reduced movement quality and the inability to reach higher intensities will be used less in everyday life, especially when it is the nondominant side.

Summary of Research: Collaboration Between Healthcare Professionals and People with Multiple Sclerosis to Develop Communication Tools to Improve the Standard of Multiple Sclerosis Care.

This is a summary of a previously published paper: Joint Healthcare Professional and Patient Development of Communication Tools to Improve the Standard of MS Care. It describes a collaboration between people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to identify challenges in multiple sclerosis (MS) care and design tools to improve communication during consultations.

Can Growth Hormone Lead to a Faster Recovery from Guillain-Barré Syndrome? Case Report of the First Therapeutic Use in One Patient.

Although the prognosis in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is generally good, protracted and incomplete courses of recovery can be a heavy burden. Animal studies suggest growth hormone (GH) treatment could stimulate myelin repair and thus accelerate functional recovery in acute polyneuropathy. We report on the first use of GH in GBS. Our objective was to monitor safety and tolerability as well as to evaluate the effect of an off-label GH therapy during recovery from GBS in 1 patient. A 28-year-old male with flaccid tetraparesis caused by pure motor GBS was treated off-label with GH (1 mg/day) for 10 weeks. Muscle strength was measured regularly before, during, and after the treatment over a total span of 330 days. Serum levels of IGF-I were assessed before, during, and after GH treatment. Changes in strength gain were used as the main parameter of efficacy. No side effects of GH treatment were observed. Serum IGF-I increased from 177 ng/mL at baseline to an average of 342 ng/mL (normal range 78-270 ng/mL) during treatment. Prior to GH administration, strength (R2 = 0.99, p < 0.01) was associated with time, representing the natural course of recovery. During GH treatment, the slope of strength gain increased (Glass' ∆ = 1.08, p < 0.01). The association between alterations of strength gain and IGF-I serum levels reached trend level (R2 = 0.36, p = 0.09). In this single case, GH treatment seemed to be associated with faster muscular strength gain. Controlled studies are needed in order to establish GH as a potential therapeutic approach in motor GBS.

Going beyond PA: Assessing sensorimotor capacity with wearables in multiple sclerosis-a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Wearable technologies are currently clinically used to assess energy expenditure in a variety of populations, e.g., persons with multiple sclerosis or frail elderly. To date, going beyond physical activity, deriving sensorimotor capacity instead of energy expenditure, is still lacking proof of feasibility. METHODS: In this study, we read out sensors (accelerometer and gyroscope) of smartwatches in a sample of 90 persons with multiple sclerosis over the course of one day of everyday life in an inpatient setting. We derived a variety of different kinematic parameters, in addition to lab-based tests of sensorimotor performance, to examine their interrelation by principal component, cluster, and regression analyses. RESULTS: These analyses revealed three components of behavior and sensorimotor capacity, namely clinical characteristics with an emphasis on gait, gait-related physical activity, and upper-limb related physical activity. Further, we were able to derive four clusters with different behavioral/capacity patterns in these dimensions. In a last step, regression analyses revealed that three selected smartwatch derived kinematic parameters were able to partially predict sensorimotor capacity, e.g., grip strength and upper-limb tapping. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses revealed that physical activity can significantly differ between persons with comparable clinical characteristics and that assessments of physical activity solely relying on gait can be misleading. Further, we were able to extract parameters that partially go beyond physical activity, with the potential to be used to monitor the course of disease progression and rehabilitation, or to early identify persons at risk or a sub-clinical threshold of disease severity.

Expert opinion on the pharmacological management of multiple sclerosis in women of childbearing age in Iraq.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is often diagnosed in women of childbearing age (WCBA), with a mean age of onset of 30 years. Women with MS have long been cautioned to carefully plan their pregnancies and, traditionally, disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have not been recommended for use in patients engaged in family planning. In 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a label update for interferon beta (IFN ß) by adding new safety data on pregnancy and breastfeeding. Because current management guidelines do not yet reflect the recent label update, a panel of neurology experts from Iraq decided to discuss the potential need for changes in treatment strategies in Iraq. Methods: A panel of experts consisting of 8 neurologists from Iraq and one international neurology expert from Germany convened to develop an expert opinion that would provide practical guidance for the pharmacological management of WCBA with MS in Iraq. They considered the latest label update and relevant published literature, along with local clinical practice and available resources. Results: Interferon and Glatiramer acetate have no evidence of harm during pregnancy. IFN ß can be continued safely through pregnancy. Switching treatment during pregnancy is generally not recommended. Short-term intravenous methylprednisolone can be used to treat disabling relapses. Conclusion: Given the complexity of managing MS in pregnant women, it is the opinion of the expert panel that family planning should be discussed early in the disease course, planned pregnancy should be encouraged, and open communication with patient for her treatment decisions is paramount. Patients who are engaged in family planning are no longer discouraged from treatment with some of the currently available DMTs.

Expert opinion on COVID-19 vaccines and cladribine tablets in MS: A plain language summary.

WHAT IS THIS SUMMARY ABOUT?: People with multiple sclerosis (shortened to MS) who are taking cladribine tablets may have concerns about whether they can be vaccinated against COVID-19. This summary details the findings from a previously published article, in which an international committee of 10 MS experts developed recommendations to answer some important questions about COVID-19 vaccines in people with MS (including relapsing-remitting or active secondary progressive disease) taking cladribine tablets. WHAT WERE THE RESULTS?: The committee identified 13 recommendations, which were all agreed upon by at least three-quarters (75%) of the 38 voting MS experts. Generally, they recommended that people with MS taking cladribine tablets should be vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible, because the vaccine is thought to be both safe and effective, and vaccine responses were not likely to be affected by cladribine tablets. WHAT DO THE RESULTS MEAN?: Overall, people with MS taking cladribine tablets should receive the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves, unless advised differently by their healthcare provider.

Disease stability over five years in people with multiple sclerosis treated with cladribine tablets: a plain language summary.

WHAT IS THIS SUMMARY ABOUT?: This is a summary of an article originally published in the journal Advances in Therapy. Cladribine tablets are approved for treating people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (shortened to MS). People with MS take cladribine tablets for 2 periods of 4 to 5 days per year. This analysis looks at the results from 2 studies called the CLARITY and CLARITY Extension studies. These studies looked at what effect a 2-year course of treatment with cladribine tablets had on disability over 5 years in people with MS. HOW WAS THE ANALYSIS CARRIED OUT?: In this analysis, researchers measured disability worsening at regular intervals during the 2-year treatment period in the CLARITY study and thereafter in the 2-year CLARITY Extension study. As many patients had a bridging interval between CLARITY and CLARITY extension, the researchers were able to assess disability over a 5-year timeframe. WHAT WERE THE RESULTS?: When measurements were taken at Year 5 of the study, disability remained stable in more than half of participants. Over the 5-year period, 70% of participants did not experience persistent disease worsening that lasted more than 6 months. WHAT DO THE RESULTS MEAN?: Researchers concluded that a 2-year course of cladribine tablets may provide long-term benefits on disability for up to 5 years. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT00213135 (ClinicalTrials.gov) Clinical Trial Registration: NCT00641537 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Long-term management of multiple sclerosis patients treated with cladribine tablets beyond year 4.

INTRODUCTION: Oral cladribine is a highly effective pulsed selective immune reconstitution therapy licensed for relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) since 2017. A full treatment course comprises two treatment cycles given 1 year apart, followed by two treatment-free years. The management of cladribine-treated patients beyond year 4 needs to be addressed as patients have now passed the initial 4 years since European Medical Agency approval. AREAS COVERED: A panel of neurologists and a neuroradiologist experienced in MS treatment/monitoring evaluated clinical trial data and real-world evidence and proposed recommendations for the management of cladribine-treated patients beyond year 4. EXPERT OPINION: Continuous monitoring of disease activity during the treatment-free period is important. Subsequent management depends on the presence or absence of inflammatory disease activity, determined in the absence of consistent guidelines via practice-driven neurological decision criteria. Persisting or newly occurring inflammatory disease activity is an indication for further treatment, i.e. either re-initiation of cladribine or switching to another highly effective disease-modifying therapy. The decision to retreat or switch should be based on clinical and radiological evaluation considering disease course, treatment history, and safety aspects. In the absence of disease activity, either retreatment can be offered, or the treatment-free period can be extended under structured monitoring.

Adherence to Subcutaneous Interferon Beta-1a in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Receiving Periodic Feedback on Drug Use by Discussion of Readouts of Their Rebismart® Injector: Results of the Prospective Cohort Study REBIFLECT.

INTRODUCTION: Consistent treatment adherence is an important determinant of durable response in multiple sclerosis (MS). Published data indicate that adherence to > 80% of prescribed doses may be considered optimal. Feedback of electronic application monitoring data to patients has been considered a promising means to support high adherence. METHODS: The 2-year prospective non-interventional study REBIFLECT conducted at outpatient neurological centers (731 patients at 134 study sites in Germany) investigated whether treatment adherence to subcutaneous (sc) interferon beta-1 injection during a 1-year period is enhanced by regular physician-patient talks reflecting dosing data recorded by the application device in the context of clinical data or disease parameters. Qualitative adherence was defined as number of weeks with properly distributed injections per total number of weeks with prescribed injections. Quantitative adherence was defined as number of administered injections per prescribed injections. RESULTS: Overall median qualitative adherence was 90.5%. Approximately 70% of patients with adherence data available in the respective periods had a qualitative treatment adherence of 80-100%. With a mean of 97.9% quantitative adherence was very high and remained stable in the 2-year observation period. The stability of this effect is demonstrated by the subgroup with just one reflection talk (≥ 100%) and only a slight decrease in the subgroup with more than five reflection talks (97.9%). CONCLUSION: Treatment adherence with the Rebismart® device was generally very high, consistent with other non-interventional studies. The first reflection talk supported by RebiSmart® induces excellent adherence, stabilized by repetition. Reflection to patients of subcutaneous interferon beta-1a treatment monitored by RebiSmart® is recommended to ensure prolonged strong treatment adherence.

Changes in thumb tapping rates and central motor conduction times are associated in persons with multiple sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: In persons with multiple sclerosis, nerve conductivity can be reduced. The assessment is generally performed via motor evoked potentials (MEP). So far, a strongly associated motor performance surrogate for changes in the extracted central motor conduction time (CMCT) is missing. METHODS: CMCT and performance in the nine-hole peg test and maximum thumb tapping frequencies over 10 s of 12 persons with multiple sclerosis were measured prior to and after training over 5 consecutive days. Each training consisted of 10,000 thumb taps at maximum effort with the dominant upper limb. RESULTS: The dominant upper limb improved in maximum tapping frequency over 10 s (d = 0.79) and 10,000 taps (d = 1.04), the nine-hole peg test (d = 0.60), and CMCT (d = 0.52). The nondominant upper limb only improved in the nine-hole peg test (d = 0.38). Models of multiple linear regression predicted 0.78 (model 1, tapping performance as factors) and 0.87 (model 2, patient baseline characteristics as factors) of the variance in CMCT changes. DISCUSSION: Changes in CMCT were well predictable, although the assessment of those surrogates is either not economic (model 1) or rather describing a potential of change (model 2). However, we were able to show moderate changes in CMCT within 5 days.

The Association Between Actigraphy-Derived Behavioral Clusters and Self-Reported Fatigue in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Persons with multiple sclerosis frequently report increased levels of fatigue and fatigability. However, behavioral surrogates that are strongly associated with self-reports are lacking, which limits research and treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to derive distinct behavioral syndromes that are reflected by self-reports concerning fatigue and fatigability. METHODS: We collected actigraphic data of 30 persons with multiple sclerosis over a period of 1 week during an inpatient stay at a neurorehabilitation facility. Further, participants completed the German fatigue severity scale. A principal component analysis of actigraphic parameters was performed to extract the latent component levels of behaviors that reflect fatigue (quantity of activity) and fatigability (fragmentation of activity). The resulting components were used in a cluster analysis. RESULTS: Analyses suggested 3 clusters, one with high activity (d=0.65-1.57) and low clinical disability levels (d=0.91-1.39), one with high levels of sedentary behavior (d=1.06-1.58), and one with strong activity fragmentation (d=1.39-1.94). The cluster with high levels of sedentary behavior further revealed strong differences from the other clusters concerning participants' reported levels of fatigue (d=0.99-1.28). CONCLUSIONS: Cluster analysis data proved to be feasible to meaningfully differentiate between different behavioral syndromes. Self-reports reflected the different behavioral syndromes strongly. Testing of additional domains (eg, volition or processing speed) and assessments during everyday life seem warranted to better understand the origins of reported fatigue symptomatology.

Long-term efficacy and safety of three times weekly dosing regimen of glatiramer acetate in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients: Seven-year results of the Glatiramer Acetate Low-frequency Administration (GALA) open-label extension study.

OBJECTIVE: Describe the long-term outcomes of early-start (ES) and delayed-start (DS) glatiramer acetate 40 mg/mL treatment three times weekly (GA40) for up to seven years in the Glatiramer Acetate Low-frequency Administration (GALA) study in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). METHODS: Patients were evaluated every three to six months. The primary efficacy endpoint was annualized relapse rate (ARR); additional endpoints were exploratory or post hoc. For efficacy, data from the entire exposure period were used for the ES and DS cohorts. For safety, exposure only under GA40 was considered. RESULTS: Of the patients who continued into the open-label extension (OLE), 580/834 (70%) ES and 261/419 (62%) DS completed the OLE. For the entire placebo-controlled and OLE study period, ARR was 0.26 for ES and 0.31 for DS patients (risk ratio = 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70-0.99). ES prolonged median time to first relapse versus DS (4.9 versus 4.3 years; hazard ratio = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.6-0.96). OLE-only results showed DS patients experienced similar efficacy for relapse and disability outcomes as ES patients. Adverse events were consistent with the well-established GA safety profile. CONCLUSIONS: GA40 treatment conferred clinical benefit up to seven years, resulting in sustained efficacy and was generally well tolerated in RMS patients.

Expert opinion on COVID-19 vaccination and the use of cladribine tablets in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Gaps in current evidence and guidance leave clinicians with unanswered questions on the use of cladribine tablets for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular relating to COVID-19 vaccination. OBJECTIVE: We describe a consensus-based program led by international MS experts with the aim of supplementing current guidelines and treatment labels by providing timely recommendations relating to COVID-19 vaccination and the use of cladribine tablets in clinical practice. METHODS: A steering committee (SC) of 10 international MS experts identified 7 clinical questions to answer concerning the use of cladribine tablets and COVID-19 vaccination, which addressed issues relating to patient selection, timing and efficacy, and safety. Clinical recommendations to address each question were drafted using available evidence combined with expert opinion from the SC. An extended faculty of 28 MS experts, representing 19 countries, in addition to the 10 SC members, voted on the recommendations. Consensus on recommendations was achieved when ⩾75% of respondents expressed an agreement score of 7-9, on a 9-point scale. RESULTS: Consensus was achieved on all 13 recommendations. Clinical recommendations are provided on whether all patients with MS receiving cladribine tablets should be vaccinated against COVID-19, and whether they should be prioritized; the timing of vaccination around dosing of cladribine tablets (i.e. before and after a treatment course); and the safety of COVID-19 vaccination for these patients. CONCLUSION: These expert recommendations provide timely guidance on COVID-19 vaccination in patients receiving cladribine tablets, which is relevant to everyday clinical practice.

Long-Term Disease Stability Assessed by the Expanded Disability Status Scale in Patients Treated with Cladribine Tablets 3.5 mg/kg for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis: An Exploratory Post Hoc Analysis of the CLARITY and CLARITY Extension Studies.

INTRODUCTION: In the Cladribine Tablets Treating Multiple Sclerosis Orally (CLARITY) study, cladribine tablets significantly reduced relapse rates and improved findings on magnetic resonance imaging versus placebo in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis. In the CLARITY Extension study, treatment with cladribine tablets for 2 years followed by placebo for 2 years produced similar clinical benefits to 4 years of cladribine tablets. The objective of this exploratory post hoc analysis was to evaluate long-term disease stability (assessed by the Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score) after treatment with cladribine tablets. METHODS: Patients enrolled into CLARITY Extension who were previously randomized to cladribine tablets 3.5 mg/kg in the CLARITY study were included in this post hoc analysis. Two treatment groups were investigated-patients randomized to cladribine tablets 3.5 mg/kg in CLARITY and thereafter randomized to placebo in CLARITY Extension (the CP3.5 group) or to cladribine tablets 3.5 mg/kg in CLARITY Extension (the CC7 group). In each treatment group, EDSS scores at 6-month intervals, EDSS score improvement/worsening each year, and time to 3- and 6-month confirmed EDSS progression were assessed from CLARITY baseline over 5 years of follow-up (including a variable bridging interval between studies). All analyses are descriptive, and no statistical comparisons were performed for between-treatment group differences. RESULTS: The median (95% confidence interval [CI]) EDSS score for patients in the CP3.5 group at 5 years was 2.5 (2.0-3.5) compared with 3.0 (2.5-3.5) at baseline. In the CC7 group, median EDSS score (95% CI) at 5 years was 2.0 (2.0-3.0) compared with 2.5 (2.5-3.0) at baseline. During year 5 for the CP3.5 group, and based on changes in minimum score each year, EDSS score stability was observed in 53.9% of patients, improvement in 21.3%, and worsening in 24.7%. In the CC7 group, EDSS score remained stable in 66.1%, improved in 18.1%, and worsened in 15.8% of patients. Over 70% of patients in both treatment groups did not show 3- or 6-month confirmed EDSS progression at 5 years from CLARITY baseline. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm long-term beneficial effects on disability afforded by either the recommended dose of cladribine tablets over 4 years (cumulative dose, 3.5 mg/kg) or a higher cumulative dose. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00213135 (CLARITY); NCT00641537 (CLARITY Extension).

Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Consensus Group (MSTCG): position statement on disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis (white paper).

Multiple sclerosis is a complex, autoimmune-mediated disease of the central nervous system characterized by inflammatory demyelination and axonal/neuronal damage. The approval of various disease-modifying therapies and our increased understanding of disease mechanisms and evolution in recent years have significantly changed the prognosis and course of the disease. This update of the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Consensus Group treatment recommendation focuses on the most important recommendations for disease-modifying therapies of multiple sclerosis in 2021. Our recommendations are based on current scientific evidence and apply to those medications approved in wide parts of Europe, particularly German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland).

State and trait of finger tapping performance in multiple sclerosis.

Finger tapping tests have been shown feasible to assess motor performance in multiple sclerosis (MS) and were observed to be strongly associated with the estimated clinical severity of the disease. Therefore, tapping tests could be an adequate tool to assess disease status in MS. In this study we examined potential influencing factors on a maximum tapping task with the whole upper-limb for 10 s in 40 MS patients using linear mixed effects modelling. Patients were tested in three sessions with two trials per body-side per session over the course of 4-27 days of inpatient rehabilitation. Tested factors were the expanded disability scale (EDSS) score, laterality of MS, age, sex, hand dominance, time of day, session, trial (first or second), time between sessions, and the reported day form. A second model used these factors to examine the self-reported day form of patients. Linear mixed effects modelling indicated the tapping test to have a good inter-trial (proportional variance < 0.01) and inter-session reliability (non-significant; when controlling for time between sessions), an influence of hand-dominance (proportional variance 0.08), to be strongly associated with the EDSS (eta2 = 0.22, interaction with laterality of MS eta2 = 0.12) and to be not associated with the reported day form. The model explained 87% (p < 0.01) of variance in tapping performance. Lastly, we were able to observe a positive effect of neurologic inpatient rehabilitation on task performance obvious from a significant effect of the time between sessions (eta2 = 0.007; longer time spans between sessions were associated with higher increments in performance). Day form was only impacted by EDSS and the time of the day (p < 0.01, R2 = 0.57, eta2TIME = 0.017, eta2EDSS = 01.19). We conclude that the tapping test is a reliable and valid assessment tool for MS.

[Multiple sclerosis treatment consensus group (MSTCG): position paper on disease-modifying treatment of multiple sclerosis 2021 (white paper)]. / Multiple Sklerose Therapie Konsensus Gruppe (MSTKG): Positionspapier zur verlaufsmodifizierenden Therapie der Multiplen Sklerose 2021 (White Paper).

Multiple sclerosis is a complex, autoimmune-mediated disease of the central nervous system characterized by inflammatory demyelination and axonal/neuronal damage. The approval of various disease-modifying therapies and our increased understanding of disease mechanisms and evolution in recent years have significantly changed the prognosis and course of the disease. This update of the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Consensus Group treatment recommendation focuses on the most important recommendations for disease-modifying therapies of multiple sclerosis in 2021. Our recommendations are based on current scientific evidence and apply to those medications approved in wide parts of Europe, particularly German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).

Speed but Not Smoothness of Gait Reacts to Rehabilitation in Multiple Sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: Improved gait is one of the leading therapy goals in multiple sclerosis. A plethora of clinical timed trials and state-of-the-art technology-based approaches are available to assess gait performance. OBJECTIVES: To examine what aspects of gait react to inpatient rehabilitation in MS and which parameters should be best assessed. DESIGN: In this longitudinal study, we examined the performance of 76 patients with MS to shed further light on factors influencing gait, associations between tests, and the reaction to inpatient rehabilitation during an average time span of 16 d. Setting. Private specialist clinic for inpatient neurorehabilitation. Main Outcome Measures. Clinical walk tests (timed 25-foot walk test at normal pace, maximum pace over 10 m or 6 min) and IMU-based measures of movement smoothness. RESULTS: All gait parameters were strongly intercorrelated (all p < 0.05), and a model multiple linear regression for the 6MWT revealed short distance velocity (10 m) and movement smoothness as predictors in a strong model (R 2 adjusted 0.75, p < 0.01). A second model with natural pace on short distance and movement smoothness was almost equally strong (R 2 adjusted 0.71, p < 0.01). Patients improved their walking speed (p < 0.01), but not smoothness (p = 0.08-0.12), over the course of rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: Since we were not able to observe improvements in smoothness of gait, we conclude that rehabilitation programs should be adapted to the patient's physiological capacities in order to allow for such improvements in smoothness of gait. Externally valid gait capacity (6MWT) could be predicted by a single walk for 10 s at natural pace.

Inpatient Rehabilitation: Prediction of Changes in Sensorimotor Performance in Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study.

Inpatient rehabilitation has been shown to be an effective intervention for sensorimotor performance in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. So far, predictions of the rehabilitation outcomes are limited. The objective was to predict inpatient rehabilitation outcomes by changes in the Watzmann Severity Scale (WSS), a statistical estimation of the EDSS by sensorimotor capacity. Sensorimotor performance and physical activity during rehabilitation (by actigraphy) were assessed in a sample of 28 MS patients at a facility for neurorehabilitation. Daily changes in the WSS were predicted by a model of multiple linear regression. The resulting model had an R2adjusted of 0.48 (p < 0.01) and revealed five impacting factors (a reduction in the WSS represents an improvement): the number of steps (ß-weight = 0.52, p < 0.01), the duration of nocturnal rest time (ß-weight = 0.46, p = 0.01), the EDSS at entry (ß-weight = 0.38, p = 0.03), a relapsing-remitting MS (ß-weight = 0.37, p = 0.03), and the performance in a visuomotor pursuit task with time pressure (ß-weight = -0.35, p = 0.04). One standard deviation improvement was predicted when the patient at admission yielded 6600 fewer steps per day, 94 min less rest per night, -2.7 points in the EDSS at entry, a relapsing-remitting MS, and a pursuit task performance that decreased by 2.2 standard deviations. Overall, the patients improved by -0.22 ± 0.51 WSS points during 19.3 ± 4.5 d of inpatient rehabilitation. Different potential explanations of the findings are discussed, one of which proposes that the results reflect an unhealthy lifestyle which, in addition to MS, would explain the higher predicted improvements by rehabilitation tackling both MS and the patients' lifestyle.

Sensorimotor function does not predict quality of life in persons with multiple sclerosis.

Quality of life (QOL) has been reported to be reduced in persons with multiple sclerosis. Further, associations between QOL and the clinical severity of the disease as well as sensorimotor function were shown. We reinvestigated impacting factors on QOL by the additional assessment of depression, fatigue, satisfaction with life, and a battery of end-effector based assessments of sensorimotor functioning. Models of multiple linear regression revealed everyday life activity limitations to be the driving factor within the used questionnaire and no association with sensorimotor tests, but depression, fatigue, and satisfaction with life. We conclude that either psycho-emotional coping and adaptability are the dominant determinant of QOL or that QOL is in need of a quantitative and objective reconceptualization.