title: Oral dalfampridine improves standing balance detected at static posturography in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: We report a 14-week post-marketing experience on 20 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who started prolonged-release (PR) oral dalfampridine 10 mg twice daily according to European Medicine Agency criteria. They underwent serial static posturography assessments and the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) to investigate whether PR dalfampridine could impact standing balance and self-reported perception of balance. The incidence of accidental falls per person per month was also recorded throughout the study. Eight (40%) patients, who had a relevant improvement in walking speed, were defined as treatment responders. They showed a significant improvement of standing balance (with respect to pretreatment assessment) when contrasted with 12 (60%) nonresponders (F [4,15] = 3.959, P = 0.027). No significant changes in DHI score, as well as in its functional, physical, and emotional subscales, were found in both responders and nonresponders at the end of study (all P values are ≥0.2). Treatment response did not affect the incidence of accidental falls. Future studies based on larger sample sizes, and with longer followup, are required to confirm the beneficial effect of PR dalfampridine on standing balance.
authors.affiliation: MS Centre, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University, Viale dell'Università, 30-00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Prosperini
authors.affiliation: MS Centre, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University, Viale dell'Università, 30-00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Costanza
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4018-169X
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giannì
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fortuna
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rita
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.affiliation: MS Centre, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University, Viale dell'Università, 30-00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6360-4798
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pozzilli