title: Energy cost of walking and its association with gait parameters, daily activity, and fatigue in persons with mild multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Energy cost of walking (C(w)) is elevated in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), perhaps because of gait impairment, and may impact daily activity and fatigue.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The authors examined for associations between C(w), spatiotemporal gait parameters, daily activity, and perceived fatigue in persons with mild MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four participants completed 4 trials of walking on a GAITRite mat and one 6-minute trial of walking on a treadmill at a constant, controlled speed of 54 m min(-1) while expired gases were analyzed for oxygen consumption. Participants also completed the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and wore a waist-mounted accelerometer for 7 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  C (w) was significantly and inversely associated with gait speed (r = -.25) and stride length (r = -.32) and positively associated with double limb support (r = .27). C (w) was significantly and inversely associated with daily accelerometer activity counts (r = -.35) and positively associated with FSS scores (ρ = .31).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support the development and application of rehabilitation strategies to address impaired gait parameters as an approach to improve C(w), daily activities, and fatigue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 350 Freer Hall, 906 South Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. robmotl@uiuc.edu
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Motl
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Sandroff
authors.forename: Yoojin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Jacob J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sosnoff
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005080:Exercise Test; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult