Backward Walking Speed Reserve Reflects Disease Severity in Patients With MS

Backward walking speed reserve, or the difference between an individual’s preferred and maximal backward walking speed, was associated with disease severity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.  

“Individuals more affected by MS had a reduced ability to modulate their backward walking speed. This measure also correlated with other common clinical mobility assessments,” said the study’s corresponding author Patrick Monaghan, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. “Additionally, a reduced ability to increase backward speed on demand was associated with lower cognitive functioning, including decreased information processing speed and attention, suggesting its potential use in screening for cognitive decline.”

The study included 23 patients with MS, whose preferred forward and backward walking speeds were measured, in addition to their maximal forward and backward walking speeds. Researchers calculated their walking speed reserves in both directions to investigate whether backward walking speed reserve, in particular, had utility as a clinical assessment tool of functional mobility, fall risk, or cognition.

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Lower backward walking speed reserve was linked with disease severity and poorer performance on clinical assessments of walking and balance, according to the study. Lower backward walking speed reserve was also linked with decreased information processing speed and attention.

“Interestingly,” the researchers reported, “forward walking speed reserve showed similar relations.”

Neither backward nor forward walking speed reserve were related to fall risk, the study found.

“The backward walking speed reserve did not offer a distinct advantage over other measures, such as the forward walking speed reserve, preferred walking speed, or maximal walking speed, in the forward or backward direction,” the researchers wrote. “The selection of the most sensitive clinical measures of functional mobility and fall risk is crucial; our study holds valuable clinical implications for persons with MS by providing novel insights into functional mobility assessments in persons with MS.”

References

Monaghan PG, VanNostrand M, Fritz NE. Backwards walking speed reserve in persons with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2024;85:105556. doi:10.1016/j.msard.2024.105556

Backward walking speed reserve assessment offers improved clinical screening for risks and decline in MS patients. News release. Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research; June 25, 2024. Accessed July 12, 2024.