Walking but not cognitive fatigability measurement is reliable in moderate to severe multiple sclerosis patients

Abstract

Aims: The aim of our research is to check the validity, the reliability and the responsiveness of those two tests in Multiple Sclerosis, since we believe that they are very feasible tools in MS walking assessment. Methods: pwMS with EDSS ⩽6.5, followed as outpatients at the AISM rehabilitation center of Genoa, were enrolled in the study. We performed a correlation of the two scales with the AI and the EDSS scale, considered a gold standard scale for people with MS (pwMS); a test-retest was administered by another operator and a comparison between the first evaluation and the last one after ten/ twelve sessions of physiotherapy. Results: We collected the preliminary data of 30pwMS (12 M/18 F, EDSS range 1.5-6.5). In our results, EDSS correlates significantly with 30SCST (p<0.0001) and FTSST (p<0.0078) and AI also correlates significantly with both (30SCT p<0.0001; FTSST p<0.0001). The test-retest analysis shows a very high correlation between the two evaluations (r Pearson 0.9408) and Cronbach's alpha is 0.989. Furthermore, both 30SCST and FTSST shows a great responsiveness to a physiotherapy treatment (30SCST p<0.0003, FTSST p<0.0001). Conclusion: Data suggest that 30SCST and FTSST seem to be valid and reliable tools. Moreover, they are probably responsive to change. In conclusion, these two tests are simple, reliable, safe and easy to administer.