Contributions
Abstract: P384
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - Clinical assessment tools
Introduction: The underrepresentation of upper limb function and cognition in EDSS results in its inadequacy in monitoring clinical disease status, particularly in patients with progressive MS. An engineered glove (Hand Test System, HTS) has been previously used to quantitatively measure impairment in finger movements in a cohort of relapsing remitting MS patients.
Aims: To assess the correlation of finger motor function assessed by the HTS system with clinical outcomes in a cohort of progressive patients.
Methods: We evaluated the finger motor function in 19 subjects with progressive MS enrolled in the European ERACoSysMed study (13 PPMS, 6 SPMS; F/M ratio 13/6; mean age 49 years (SD=8); median EDSS 5 (range 1.5-6.5); mean disease duration 13 years (SD=11). All the subjects performed 30-sec repetitive fingers-to-thumb opposition sequences with their dominant hand at maximal velocity and bimanually paced by a metronome. The HTS glove was used to calculate motor performance parameters such as the maximum movement rate (RATE) and the inter-hand interval (IHI), index of bimanual coordination. All the patients underwent a clinical assessment by EDSS, Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW), 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT) and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Correlations between finger motor impairment and clinical parameters were evaluated by the Spearman´s rank correlation coefficient.
Results: In this cohort of progressive patients, EDSS and SDMT were not significantly correlated (r=-0.21, p=0.37); the 9HPT was significantly correlated with EDSS (r=0.45, p=0.048) but not with SDMT (r=0.22, p=0.34). The RATE was found to be correlated with EDSS (r=-0.59, p< 0.001) but not with SDMT (r=0.24, p=0.32). The IHI was strongly associated with SDMT (r=0.73, p=0.003) but not with EDSS (r=0.19, p=0.51). In multivariate models including all the demographic and clinical variables, the RATE and the IHI were the parameters with the highest correlation with EDSS and SDMT respectively.
Conclusions: Tools to objectively assess disability in progressive MS patients are urgently needed. The sensor-engineered glove is a simple and quantitative device to assess upper limb function. RATE-EDSS and IHI-SDMT correlation may reflect glove parameters specificity in the detection of motor and cognitive networks impairment. Thus, the glove may represent a promising method to assess the different features of disability in progressive MS.
Disclosure: LC, LN, CL, MC, EG, ES, LF, RM, GB, NP have nothing to disclose
AS has received teaching honoraria from Novartis
AL has received personal compensation from Novartis, Genzyme, Biogen, Merck, and Teva for public speaking and advisory boards.
MP received research support from Novartis.
MI received research grants from NIH, DOD, NMSS, FISM and Teva Neuroscience
AU has received grants/research supports and honoraria or consultation fees from Biogen, Novartis, Teva, Roche and Merck-Serono.
GLM has received honoraria for lecturing, travel expenses for attending meetings, and financial support for research from Bayer Schering, Biogen Idec, Genzyme,Merck Serono, Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis, and Teva P harmaceuticals.
MPS received consulting fees from TEVA, Biogen, Merck Serono, Genzyme, Roche, GeNeuro, Novartis, Medday.
Abstract: P384
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - Clinical assessment tools
Introduction: The underrepresentation of upper limb function and cognition in EDSS results in its inadequacy in monitoring clinical disease status, particularly in patients with progressive MS. An engineered glove (Hand Test System, HTS) has been previously used to quantitatively measure impairment in finger movements in a cohort of relapsing remitting MS patients.
Aims: To assess the correlation of finger motor function assessed by the HTS system with clinical outcomes in a cohort of progressive patients.
Methods: We evaluated the finger motor function in 19 subjects with progressive MS enrolled in the European ERACoSysMed study (13 PPMS, 6 SPMS; F/M ratio 13/6; mean age 49 years (SD=8); median EDSS 5 (range 1.5-6.5); mean disease duration 13 years (SD=11). All the subjects performed 30-sec repetitive fingers-to-thumb opposition sequences with their dominant hand at maximal velocity and bimanually paced by a metronome. The HTS glove was used to calculate motor performance parameters such as the maximum movement rate (RATE) and the inter-hand interval (IHI), index of bimanual coordination. All the patients underwent a clinical assessment by EDSS, Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW), 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT) and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Correlations between finger motor impairment and clinical parameters were evaluated by the Spearman´s rank correlation coefficient.
Results: In this cohort of progressive patients, EDSS and SDMT were not significantly correlated (r=-0.21, p=0.37); the 9HPT was significantly correlated with EDSS (r=0.45, p=0.048) but not with SDMT (r=0.22, p=0.34). The RATE was found to be correlated with EDSS (r=-0.59, p< 0.001) but not with SDMT (r=0.24, p=0.32). The IHI was strongly associated with SDMT (r=0.73, p=0.003) but not with EDSS (r=0.19, p=0.51). In multivariate models including all the demographic and clinical variables, the RATE and the IHI were the parameters with the highest correlation with EDSS and SDMT respectively.
Conclusions: Tools to objectively assess disability in progressive MS patients are urgently needed. The sensor-engineered glove is a simple and quantitative device to assess upper limb function. RATE-EDSS and IHI-SDMT correlation may reflect glove parameters specificity in the detection of motor and cognitive networks impairment. Thus, the glove may represent a promising method to assess the different features of disability in progressive MS.
Disclosure: LC, LN, CL, MC, EG, ES, LF, RM, GB, NP have nothing to disclose
AS has received teaching honoraria from Novartis
AL has received personal compensation from Novartis, Genzyme, Biogen, Merck, and Teva for public speaking and advisory boards.
MP received research support from Novartis.
MI received research grants from NIH, DOD, NMSS, FISM and Teva Neuroscience
AU has received grants/research supports and honoraria or consultation fees from Biogen, Novartis, Teva, Roche and Merck-Serono.
GLM has received honoraria for lecturing, travel expenses for attending meetings, and financial support for research from Bayer Schering, Biogen Idec, Genzyme,Merck Serono, Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis, and Teva P harmaceuticals.
MPS received consulting fees from TEVA, Biogen, Merck Serono, Genzyme, Roche, GeNeuro, Novartis, Medday.