• Neurology Clinical Trials
• Demyelinating Diseases

Rehabilitation is important in maintaining and improving function in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), but there is no consensus on what may be the most effective approach to achieving the best possible functionality within a patient's limitations [Rasova K et al. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2010]. Moreover, there are few data on what constitutes a clinically significant change in a timed walk test after treatment for relapse [Coleman CI et al. Curr Med Res Opin 2012]. K. Gross-Paju, MD, PhD, West-Tallinn Central Hospital, Tallinn, Estonia, presented outcomes from a study to examine the recovery dynamics of walking ability in MS patients during a three-month period after relapse.

A total of 25 patients with relapsing-remitting MS were recruited. Four had two relapses during the study period. A total of 29 relapses were assessed; all were treated with 5 g of IV methylprednisolone (IVMP). Assessment measures included the Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS), 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), and the Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale (MSWS). Walking parameters were recorded during relapse after the first IVMP drip, the last IVMP drip, and at 1 and 3 months after relapse.

Post-relapse EDSS scores improved at 1 and 3 months (p=0.0118 and p=0.0023, respectively). After the first IVMP drip, there was significant improvement in the 6MWT compared with relapse (6.5%; p≤0.0001). Improvement increased up to 9% (p=0.0001) after the fifth IVMP drip, but remained unchanged at further follow-up. Outcomes on the MSWS followed a similar course: 20% improvement (p≤0.0001) compared with relapse after the fifth IVMP drip, with no change during follow-up.

Data confirmed a significant improvement in the 6MWT after the first IVMP drip, which was sustained at 3-month follow-up. After the fifth IVMP drip, there was a 20% improvement in the MSWS, which was sustained up to 3 months.

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