scholarly journals The feasibility of assessing cognitive and motor function in multiple sclerosis patients using robotics

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 205521732096494
Author(s):  
Leif ER Simmatis ◽  
Albert Y Jin ◽  
Sean W Taylor ◽  
Etienne J Bisson ◽  
Stephen H Scott ◽  
...  

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes pervasive motor, sensory and cognitive dysfunction. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is the gold standard for assessing MS disability. The EDSS is biased towards mobility and may not accurately measure MS-related disabilities in the upper limb or in cognitive functions (e.g. executive function). Objective Our objectives were to determine the feasibility of using the Kinarm robotic system to quantify neurological deficits related to arm function and cognition in MS patients, and examine relationships between traditional clinical assessments and Kinarm variables. Methods Individuals with MS performed 8 robotic tasks assessing motor, cognitive, and sensory ability. We additionally collected traditional clinical assessments and compared these to the results of the robotic assessment. Results Forty-three people with MS were assessed. Most participants could complete the robotic assessment. Twenty-six (60%) were impaired on at least one cognitive task and twenty-six (60%) were impaired on at least one upper-limb motor task. Cognitive domain task performance correlated most strongly with the EDSS. Conclusions Kinarm robotic assessment of people with MS is feasible, can identify a broad range of upper-limb motor and sensory, as well as cognitive, impairments, and complements current clinical rating scales in the assessment of MS-related disability.

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 567-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Octaviana Dulamea ◽  
Voicu Boscaiu ◽  
Maria Mirela Sava

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 205521731882461
Author(s):  
Stanley L Cohan ◽  
Keith Edwards ◽  
Lindsay Lucas ◽  
Tiffany Gervasi-Follmar ◽  
Judy O’Connor ◽  
...  

Background Natalizumab is an effective treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis. Return of disease activity upon natalizumab discontinuance creates the need for follow-up therapeutic strategies. Objective To assess the efficacy of teriflunomide following natalizumab discontinuance in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients. Methods Clinically stable relapsing multiple sclerosis patients completing 12 or more consecutive months of natalizumab, testing positive for anti-John Cunningham virus antibody, started teriflunomide 14 mg/day, 28 ± 7 days after their final natalizumab infusion. Physical examination, Expanded Disability Status Scale, laboratory assessments, and brain magnetic resonance imaging were performed at screening and multiple follow-up visits. Results Fifty-five patients were enrolled in the study. The proportion of patients relapse-free was 0.94, restricted mean time to first gadolinium-enhancing lesion was 10.9 months and time to 3-month sustained disability worsening was 11.8 months. The mean number of new or enlarging T2 lesions per patient at 12 months was 0.42. Exploratory analyses revealed an annualized relapse rate of 0.08, and a proportion of patients with no evidence of disease activity of 0.68. Forty-seven patients (85.5%) reported adverse events, 95% of which were mild to moderate. Conclusions Teriflunomide therapy initiated without natalizumab washout resulted in a low rate of return of disease activity. Clinicians may consider this a worthwhile strategy when transitioning clinically stable patients off natalizumab to another therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01970410


2020 ◽  
pp. 135245852096881
Author(s):  
Andrew R Romeo ◽  
William M Rowles ◽  
Erica S Schleimer ◽  
Patrick Barba ◽  
Wan-Yu Hsu ◽  
...  

Background: In persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is the criterion standard for assessing disability, but its in-person nature constrains patient participation in research and clinical assessments. Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a scalable, electronic, unsupervised patient-reported EDSS (ePR-EDSS) that would capture MS-related disability across the spectrum of severity. Methods: We enrolled 136 adult MS patients, split into a preliminary testing Cohort 1 ( n = 50), and a validation Cohort 2 ( n = 86), which was evenly distributed across EDSS groups. Each patient completed an ePR-EDSS either immediately before or after a MS clinician’s Neurostatus EDSS evaluation. Results: In Cohort 2, mean age was 50.6 years (range = 26–80) and median EDSS was 3.5 (interquartile range (IQR) = [1.5, 5.5]). The ePR-EDSS and EDSS agreed within 1-point for 86% of examinations; kappa for agreement within 1-point was 0.85 ( p < 0.001). The correlation coefficient between the two measures was 0.91 (<0.001). Discussion: The ePR-EDSS was highly correlated with EDSS, with good agreement even at lower EDSS levels. For clinical care, the ePR-EDSS could enable the longitudinal monitoring of a patient’s disability. For research, it provides a valid and rapid measure across the entire spectrum of disability and permits broader participation with fewer in-person assessments.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 1609-1616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marloes T Bazelier ◽  
Joan Bentzen ◽  
Peter Vestergaard ◽  
Egon Stenager ◽  
Hubert GM Leufkens ◽  
...  

Background: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be at increased risk of fractures owing to osteoporosis and falling. Objective: To evaluate the risk of fracture in incident MS patients drawn from a dedicated MS registry compared with population-based controls. Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study (1996–2007) utilising the Danish National Health Registers that were linked to the Danish MS Registry and the Danish MS Treatment Registry. Incident MS patients (2963 cases) were 1:6 matched by year of birth, gender, calendar time and region to persons without MS (controls). Cox proportional hazards models and logistic regression were used to estimate the risk of fracture in MS. Time-dependent adjustments were made for age, history of diseases and drug use. Results: Compared with controls, patients with MS had no overall increased risk of fracture (adjusted hazard ratio (adj. HR): 1.0, 95% CI: 0.9–1.2). However, the risk of femur/hip fracture (adj. HR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1–3.4) was significantly increased compared to controls. As compared with unexposed patients, MS patients who had been exposed to a short course of methylprednisolone in the prior year had no significantly increased risk of osteoporotic fracture (adj. HR: 1.2, 95% CI: 0.5–2.9). Disabled MS patients with Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] scores between 6 and 10, had a 2.6-fold increased risk of osteoporotic fracture (adjusted odds ratio (adj. OR): 2.6, 95% CI: 1.0–6.6) compared to patients with an EDSS score between 0 and 3. Conclusion: Patients with MS had a higher risk of femur/hip fracture than controls. Disability status is probably more important than glucocorticoid use in the aetiology of MS and osteoporotic fracture.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 1092-1098 ◽  
Author(s):  
CE Teunissen ◽  
M Sombekke ◽  
L van Winsen ◽  
J Killestein ◽  
F Barkhof ◽  
...  

Background: Oxidative stress plays an important role in multiple sclerosis (MS). Isoprostanes are biomarkers for oxidative stress and have been related to neurological disease progression. Objective: To study whether plasma isoprostane levels were related to disease progression in MS. Methods: Plasma levels of 8,12-iso-iPF2alpha-VI were determined in 17 patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), 41 relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) patients and 5 primary progressive MS (PPMS) patients and related to MRI and clinical disease parameters. Results: Isoprostane levels were similar in CIS (60.9, interquartile range (IQR): 47.7–77.7 pg/ml) and RRMS patients (65.3, IQR: 51.9–82.8 pg/ml). The plasma levels were lower in PPMS patients (42.5, IQR: 37.1–49.9) pg/ml, p<0.05) compared to CIS and RRMS patients in this cohort, which was not confirmed in a second cohort. Baseline isoprostane levels were not related to clinical progression defined by conversion form CIS to RRMS or change in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) or MS Functional Composite (MSFC) scores during six years of follow-up (CIS + RRMS), nor to change in volume of gadolinium enhancing lesions, T2 lesion load or T1 hypointense lesion load during 2.8 years of follow-up (CIS + RRMS). Conclusion: These results do not support a strong role of 8,12-iso-iPF2alpha-VI in the prediction of disease progression in MS.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document