title: Gait characteristics of multiple sclerosis patients in the absence of clinical disability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Motor deficits in lower extremities and gait abnormalities are a major feature of the multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Patients with minimal clinical disability have subtle gait changes. The aim of this study was to analyze the gait characteristics of MS patients in the absence of clinical disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study was carried out with 12 MS patients and 12 matched healthy controls. The subjects underwent a clinical neurological evaluation to determine their disability level (EDSS ≤ 1.5). Then, the subjects were referred for completion self-report questionnaires (gait, perceived balance confidence, physical activity and fatigue), gait clinical trials, and 3D kinematic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MS patients showed more impairment of perceived fatigue, perceived of walking impact and perceived balance confidence, despite having no disability. Gait characteristics showed no differences when they were determined by clinical observation. The 3D kinematic analysis of gait showed slight but significant changes in ankle movement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MS patients with no clinical disability have discrete changes in gait that can be evidenced by perceived impact on walking and kinematic evaluation, mainly of ankle movement. Moreover, there is a decrease in perceived balance confidence and an increase in perceived fatigue, which are correlated despite having different origins.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Postgraduate Program, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leandro Alberto Calazans
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Pollyane
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sabino
authors.forename: Helcio Alvarenga
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.forename: Regina Maria Papais
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Alvarenga
authors.forename: Luiz Claudio
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Thuler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D057566:Self Report