004 Physical activity monitoring to assess disability progression in multiple sclerosis

To monitor multiple sclerosis (MS) disability, scales like the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) are commonly used. Both rely on a single clinical assess- ment in time which may not reflect patient’s performance their living environment. They also require training consuming. The SenseWear armband incorporates triaxial accelerometer sensitive to upper lower limb motion. A proprietary algorithm computes several physical activity variables, such as total energy expenditure, duration, metabolic equivalents (METs) average daily steps. Here we assess for its ability disease progression, alongside EDSS MSFC. Progressive MS patients (n=50) wore device one week, every 6 months 2.5 years. MSFC were performed at end of each week. was agreeable easy use. Patients showed progression across all three disability measures (p<0.01). Baseline activity, values correlated well between other. change with poorly, suggesting that they measure functional aspects have different pro- gression trajectories. In summary, monitoring is user-friendly ecological method progression. [email protected]