[en] [en] BACKGROUND: Gait characteristics and their changes during the 6-minute walking test (6MWT) in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) have been described in the literature, which one may refer to as walking fatigability in the body function level of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. However, whether these metrics are reliable is unknown.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the between-day reliability of the gait characteristics and their changes in pwMS and healthy controls (HCs).
METHODS: Forty-nine pwMS (EDSS 4.82 ± 1.22 and 54.7 ± 9.36 years) and 23 HCs (50.6 ± 6.1 years) performed the 6MWT, as fast as possible but safely while wearing Inertial Measurement Units. Gait characteristics were measured in the pace, rhythm, variability, asymmetry, kinematics, coordination, and postural control domains and were obtained in intervals of 1 minute during the 6MWT. In addition, gait characteristics change in the last minute compared with the first minute were calculated for all gait variables using a fatigability index (ie, distance walking index). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Bland-Altman Plots, and Standard error of measurement were applied to investigate reliability.
RESULTS: Reliability of gait characteristics, minute-by-minute, and for their changes (ie, using the fatigability index) ranged from poor to excellent (pwMS: ICC 0.46-0.96; HC: ICC 0.09-0.97 and pwMS: ICC 0-0.72; HC: ICC 0-0.77, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Besides coordination, at least 1 variable of each gait domain showed an ICC of moderate or good reliability for gait characteristics changes in both pwMS and HC. These metrics can be incorporated into future clinical trials and research on walking fatigability.Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05412043.
Disciplines :
Orthopedics, rehabilitation & sports medicine
Author, co-author :
Balistieri Santinelli, Felipe ; REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium ; UMSC, Hasselt/Pelt, Belgium
Ramari, Cintia ; REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium ; UMSC, Hasselt/Pelt, Belgium
Poncelet, Marie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA ; Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Severijns, Deborah; Noorderhart Rehabilitation and MS Center, Pelt, Belgium
Kos, Daphne; National MS Center Melsbroek, Melsbroek, Belgium ; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Pau, Massimiliano; Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
Kalron, Alon ; Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine, and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Meyns, Pieter; REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
Feys, Peter ; REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium ; UMSC, Hasselt/Pelt, Belgium
Language :
English
Title :
Between-Day Reliability of the Gait Characteristics and Their Changes During the 6-Minute Walking Test in People With Multiple Sclerosis.
FWO - Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen MS LIGA Flanders FRB - King Baudouin Foundation
Funding text :
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was supported by Research Foundation - Flanders (#11O5823N), the MS LIGA Flanders (steunfonds), and the King Beaudouin foundation (fundClaire Fauconnier).The authors would like to thank all the participants and clinical MS centers of the study for participation, the research foundations for their financial support (Research Foundation—Flanders, MS LIGA Flanders, and the King Beaudouin foundation), and the physiotherapy master students of the University of Hasselt in assisting with data collection. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was supported by Research Foundation - Flanders (#11O5823N), the MS LIGA Flanders (steunfonds), and the King Beaudouin foundation (fundClaire Fauconnier).
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