A 6-week vestibular rehabilitation program demonstrated both statistically significant and clinically relevant change in fatigue, impaired balance, and disability due to dizziness or disequilibrium in patients with MS.

The CDP-SOT is a reliable measure of balance and accurately differentiates disability status in people with MS. Collectively, the results support clinical application of the CDP-SOT as a reliable and valid measure of disease-related progression of impaired balance related to sensory integration and its utility in determining changes in balance in response to treatment.

For the major muscles in the lower extremity and trunk, hip abduction, ankle plantar flexion, trunk flexion, and knee flexion were the strongest predictors of gait performance.

Abstract-The purpose of this study was to investigate core muscle characteristics during walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Eight patients (4 men) with relapsing-remitting MS (aged 44.9 +/-8.6 yr) and sex-matched controls (37.9 +/-8.4 yr) walked on a treadmill for 15 min at a self-selected speed. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging was used to measure core muscle activity immediately after walking based on glucose uptake. Activity was not different between the MS and control group for any of the identified muscles (p > 0.28). Within the MS group, side differences in activity were identified in the lateral flexor group, the external and internal obliques, and the rectus abdominis (p < 0.05), with the lessaffected side being activated more. Furthermore, greater muscle volume was found on the more-affected side of the transversus abdominis, quadratus lumborum, and the low-back extensor group (p < 0.03). These muscle characteristics suggest patients with MS utilize compensatory mechanisms during walking to maintain balance and posture. These strategies likely result in increased muscle energy cost and early fatigability.