An Immersive Virtual Kitchen Training System for People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Development and Validation Study

Rehabilitation via virtual reality (VR) training tools allows repetitive, intensive, and task-specific practice in a controlled and safe environment. Our goal was to develop and validate a novel immersive VR system based on the practice of real-life activities in a kitchen environment in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) with upper-limb dysfunction. The novel immersive VR kitchen application includes several tasks, i.e., tidying up the kitchen, preparing a hamburger and soup meal, and dish washing. Following the development phase, the system was tested for an 8-week intervention period on a small sample of pwMS suffering from upper-limb dysfunction. The Suitability Evaluation Questionnaire for VR systems served as the primary outcome. The scores for enjoyment, sense of comfort with the system, feelings of success and control, realism, easy-to-understand instructions, assists in rehabilitation therapy, were between 4.0 and 4.6, indicating a high satisfaction. The scores for eye discomfort, dizziness, nausea, and disorientation during practice were between 2.8 and 1.3, indicating a low-to-moderate interference of the system. The virtual kitchen training system is feasible and safe for upper-limb training in pwMS and paves the way for future RCTs to examine the benefits of the system compared with standard care, thus improving the functionality of the upper limbs in pwMS

Between-Day Reliability of the Gait Characteristics and Their Changes During the 6-Minute Walking Test in People With Multiple Sclerosis

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

The MoXFo initiative – study design: Considerations related to study design and methodology in exercise research for people with multiple sclerosis

Background: Exercise as a subset of physical activity is a cornerstone in the management of multiple sclerosis (MS) based on its pleiotropic effects, but continued progression of the field requires better future designs and methodologies. Objectives: This paper outlines the work of the ‘Study design and methodology’ group of the MoXFo (moving exercise research forward) initiative, and addresses critical aspects and future directions when defining the research question of interest, and subsequently, designing the study and exercise intervention in MS patients. Methods: The work is based on the formation of an international expert panel formed within the MoXFo initiative. We provide a structured and concise synthesis of exercise-specific MS research challenges and considerations when designing randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Results: Challenges and considerations are presented using the Patient population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes, Timing, Setting (PICOTS) framework, thereby forming a new and specific MS exercise PICOTS framework. Conclusion: We propose that researchers should carefully consider and align all elements of this MS exercise PICOTS framework when developing future research questions and study designs, ultimately improving the quality of new exercise studies in people with MS. </jats:sec

Gait and cognitive impairments in multiple sclerosis: the specific contribution of falls and fear of falling

Our goal was to identify the specific contribution of fear of falling (FoF) and falls with quantitative gait impairments and cognition capabilities in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Patients were separated into four individual subgroups as to the presence of FoF and falls (i.e., fearless/non-fallers, fearless/fallers, FoF/non-fallers and FoF/fallers). The Falls Efficacy Scale International questionnaire was used to assess the level of concern of falling. Participants were defined as "fallers" and "non-fallers" based on their fall history. Spatio-temporal parameters of gait were analyzed using an electronic mat. Cognitive performance was assessed by a computerized cognitive battery of tests. The study included 540 MS patients, 47% were defined as fallers and 61.9% reported a FoF. Non-significant differences were found between the fearless/non-fallers and fearless/fallers in all clinical, gait and cognitive scores. FoF/non-fallers walked significantly slower compared to fearless MS individuals who had previously fallen. Furthermore, the same patient group exhibited a poorer performance in the motor skills cognitive subdomain. A significant reverse relationship was found between FoF and cognitive motor skills in the fallers and non-fallers groups. FoF characterizes a more disabling symptom than falling in the MS population

Restless legs syndrome in people with multiple sclerosis: An updated systematic review and meta-analyses

Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensory-motor disorder characterized by an uncomfortable sensation felt in the lower extremity. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analyses was (i) to provide updated information on the prevalence and clinical characteristics of RLS amongst people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and (ii) clarify RLS-related factors in PwMS. Methods: MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, and EMBASE were searched from their inception through April 2021 for the following keywords: 'restless legs syndrome' or 'RLS' and 'multiple sclerosis' or 'MS'. For the analysis of RLS prevalence, we calculated the percentage of RLS sufferers amongst the PwMS and people without MS. The prevalence of RLS was pooled separately for PwMS and healthy controls, regardless of the heterogeneity between studies. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were extracted from the data in order to analyze the association between MS and RLS. Results: Nineteen studies were included in the review (9 case-controlled and 10 cross-sectional).The mean prevalence of RLS in the MS population was 27.5%, ranging from 13.2% to 65.1%, higher than the healthy controls. Based on the case control studies, the pooled RLS prevalence was much higher in PwMS than in healthy controls (OR 4.535, 95% CI 3.043-6.759, p<0.001). The majority of studies found no significant relationship between the presence of RLS in PwMS with disability, disease duration, type of MS, age, or gender. Conclusions: Our updated systematic review strengthens the evidence of the increased risk of RLS amongst PwMS. Nevertheless, significant data reporting on characteristics of the MS disease, which increases the risk of suffering from RLS, is still lacking

The relationship between depression, anxiety and cognition and its paradoxical impact on falls in multiple sclerosis patients

Although falls, cognitive impairments and mood disorders are very common in people with MS (PwMS) the relationship between these conditions has received scant attention. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate the specific involvement of depression and anxiety on cognition and falls in PwMS. The study included 122 PwMS (75 women) divided into four subgroups according to their manifestation of depression and anxiety assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (i.e. no depression/no anxiety, depression/no anxiety, no depression/anxiety and depression/anxiety). Cognitive performance was evaluated via a computerized cognitive battery of tests. Participants were defined as "fallers" and "non-fallers" based on their fall history recorded during a clinical interview. Thirty-eight PwMS (31.1%) were classified as depressed (mean HADS 11.1, SD = 3.4); 52 (42.6%) were classified as anxious (mean HADS 11.1, S.D = 3.1) and 56 (45.9%) were neither depressed nor anxious. PwMS categorized in the anxiety/non-depressed subgroup were 6 times less likely to fall than PwMS without depression or anxiety (OR = 0.160, 95%CI = 0.040-0.646; P-value = 0.010). In terms of global cognitive status, depressed PwMS with anxiety were almost 4 times more likely to experience cognitive impairments compared to PwMS who were not depressed or anxious. Anxiety without comorbid depression is associated with less risk of falling, even when comparing MS patients without depression or anxiety. Future longitudinal investigations should confirm if this phenotype of MS patients with anxiety and without depression fall less compared with other mood groups

Cerebellum and cognition in multiple sclerosis: the fall status matters

Cerebellar volume has been linked with cognitive performances in MS; however, the association in terms of fall status has never been compared. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to compare cognitive performance with cerebellar volume between MS fallers and non-fallers. The cross-sectional study included 140 PwMS (96 women). MRI volumetric analysis was based on the FreeSurfer image analysis suite. Volumes of the cerebellar gray and white matter were identified as the region of interest. Cognitive function included scores obtained from a computerized cognitive battery of tests. The sample was divided into fallers and non-fallers. MS fallers demonstrated a lower global cognitive performance and reduced gray and white matter cerebellar volumes compared to non-fallers. A significant association was found between total gray and white matter cerebellar volume and visual spatial subdomain (P value = 0.044 and 0.032, respectively) in the non-fallers group. The association remained significant after controlling for the total cranial volume and neurological disability (P value = 0.026 and 0.047, respectively). A relationship was found between the visual spatial score and the left gray matter cerebellum volume; R2 = 0.44, P value = 0.021. We believe that a unique relationship exists between the cerebellum structure and cognitive processing according to fall history in PwMS and should be considered when investigating the association between brain functioning and cognitive performances in MS