Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 and oxygen cost of walking

Motl, Robert W.; Dlugonski, Deirdre; Suh, Yoojin; Weikert, Madeline; Agiovlasitis, Stamatis; Fernhall, Bo; Goldman, Myla

doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2010.02.011

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Volume 31, Issue 4 , Pages 506-510, April 2010

Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 and oxygen cost of walking

Robert W. Motl
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
- Corresponding author at: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, 350 Freer Hall, 906 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, United States. Tel.: +1 217 265 0886; fax: +1 217 244 7322.
Deirdre Dlugonski
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
Yoojin Suh
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
Madeline Weikert
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
Stamatis Agiovlasitis
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
Bo Fernhall
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
Myla Goldman
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States

Received 10 November 2009; received in revised form 2 February 2010; accepted 14 February 2010. published online 12 March 2010.

Abstract

Background

The 12-item multiple sclerosis walking scale (MSWS-12) has been validated against self-report and clinical markers, but has not been validated with a physiological marker of locomotor impairment.

Objective

This study further validates the MSWS-12 based on its correlation with the oxygen cost (O₂ cost) of walking as a physiological marker of locomotor impairment in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods

Participants (N=24) with MS completed the MSWS-12 and then wore a portable metabolic unit for measuring the O₂ cost of walking during three 6-min walk (6MW) tests. The first 6MW test involved the participant's comfortable walking speed (CWS), whereas the second and third 6MW tests were undertaken above (faster walking speed, FWS) and below (slower walking speed, SWS) the participant's CWS (i.e., ±5mph CWS).

Results

MSWS-12 scores correlated strongly with O₂ cost of walking during the 6MW tests undertaken at CWS (r=.641, p=.001), FWS (r=.616, p=.001), and SWS (r=.639, p=.001).