Objectives: 1. To study the association between cognitive impairment (CI) and motor dysfunction (MD) among patients with MS. 2. To examine if muscle weakness, motor incoordination, balance impairment, gait abnormalities, and/or increased fall risk can be adopted as indicator of CI in patients with MS. Methods: Seventy patients with multiple sclerosis were included in this cross-sectional study. They underwent assessment of cognitive impairment using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), muscle strength using the Handheld dynamometer, balance, gait, and fall risk assessment using Tinetti scale. Moreover, motor coordination was assessed for both upper and lower extremities through the Timed Rapid Alternating Movement for Upper Extremity and Timed Alternate Heel-to-Knee Test for lower extremity. Results: A Significant association was found between CI and motor coordination, balance, gait, and risk of fall (p< 0.005) apart from muscle strength. Stepwise multiple linear regression showed that 22.7% of the variance in the MoCA was predictable from the fall risk and the incoordination of upper extremity among MS population. Conclusion: CI is significantly associated with motor incoordination, balance impairment, gait abnormality, and increased fall risk. Furthermore, the risk of fall and upper extremity incoordination appeared as the best indicators of CI among patients with MS.

Background Previous studies have shown that there is a relationship between cognitive impairment (CI) and motor dysfunction (MD) in neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. However, there whether CI and MD are associated in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is unknown. Here we studied the association between CI and MD in patients with MS and examined if muscle weakness or incoordination, balance impairment, gait abnormalities, and/or increased fall risk are indicators of CI in patients with MS. Methods Seventy patients with MS were included in this cross-sectional study. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), muscle strength using a hand-held dynamometer, and balance, gait, and fall risk assessment using the Tinetti scale. Motor coordination was assessed using the timed rapid alternating movement test for the upper extremity and the timed alternate heel-to-knee test for the lower extremity. Results There was a significant association between CI and motor coordination, balance, gait, and risk of fall (p < 0.005) but not muscle strength. Stepwise multiple linear regression showed that 22.7% of the variance in the MoCA was predicted by the fall risk and incoordination of the upper extremities in the MS population. Conclusions CI is significantly associated with motor incoordination, balance impairment, gait abnormality, and increased fall risk. Furthermore, the risk of fall and upper extremity incoordination appeared to be best indicators of CI in patients with MS.

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Objectives: Menopause is the termination of a woman’s menstrual cycle for a year. In this condition, women’s health status declines due to hormonal changes and aging. Physical Activity (PA) is among the best available alternatives for managing menopause-related symptoms without any adverse effects. This study aimed to assess the relationship between PA and symptoms, such as fatigue, depression, and insomnia in Saudi menopausal women. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 60 menopausal women; they were divided into physically active and inactive groups. The group allocation was conducted based on their PA level determined by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short-Form (IPAQ-SF). Menopausal symptoms, such as fatigue, depression, and insomnia were assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), respectively, in the study groups. The association between PA and fatigue, depression, and insomnia was assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The significance level was set at P≤0.05. Results: Fatigue, depression, and insomnia were more prevalent in physically inactive post-menopause women than the active women. A significant difference was observed in the outcome variables between the study groups. Furthermore, a significant association was detected between PA and fatigue, depression, and insomnia in the study participants. Discussion: Half of the explored menopausal women were physically active. Physically active menopausal women presented less fatigue, depression, and insomnia, compared to their inactive counterparts. This study suggested that PA positively impacted menopausal symptoms (fatigue, insomnia, & depression). Besides, the collected results highlighted the importance of physical activity among menopausal women.

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