TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2018//
TI  - Balance changes in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a pilot study comparing the dynamics of the relapse and remitting phases
JO  - Frontiers in neurology
A1  - Findling, Oliver
A1  - Rust, Heiko
A1  - Yaldizli, Ozgur
A1  - Timmermans, Dionne P. H.
A1  - Scheltinga, Alja
A1  - Allum, John H. J.
SP  - e686
EP  - e686
VL  - 9
IS  - 
N2  - <b>Aims:</b> To compare balance changes over time during the relapse phase of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) with balance control during the remitting phase. <b>Methods:</b> Balance control during stance and gait tasks of 24 remitting-phase patients (mean age 43.7 ± 10.5, 15 women, mean EDSS at baseline 2.45 ± 1.01) was examined every 3 months over 9 months and compared to that of nine relapsing patients (age 42.0 ± 12.7, all women, mean EDSS at relapse onset 3.11 ± 0.96) examined at relapse onset and 3 months later. Balance was also compared to that of 40 healthy controls (HCs) (age 39.7 ± 12.6, 25 women). Balance control was measured as lower-trunk sway angles with body-worn gyroscopes. Expanded Disability Status Scale scores (EDSS) were used to monitor, clinically, disease progression. <b>Results:</b> Remitting-phase patients showed more unstable stance balance control than HCs (<i>p</i> < 0.04) with no worsening over the observation period of 9 months. Gait balance control was normal (<i>p</i> > 0.06). Relapsing patients had stance balance control significantly worse at onset compared to remitting-phase patients and HCs (<i>p</i> < 0.04). Gait tasks showed a significant decrease of gait speed and trunk sway in relapsing patients (<i>p</i> = 0.018) compatible with having increased gait instability at normal speeds. Improvement to levels of remitting patients generally took longer than 3 months. Balance and EDSS scores were correlated for remitting but not for relapse patients. <b>Conclusions:</b> Balance in remitting RRMS patients does not change significantly over 9 months and correlated well with EDSS scores. Our results indicate that balance control is a useful measure to assess recovery after a relapse, particularly in patients with unchanged EDSS scores. Based on our results, balance could be considered as additional measurement to assess recovery after a relapse, particularly in patients with unchanged EDSS.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1664-2295
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2018.00686
ID  - ref1
ER  -