title: Bedside tested ocular motor disorders in multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: Background/Aims. Ocular motor disorders (OMDs) are a common feature of multiple sclerosis (MS). In clinical practice, if not reported by patients, OMDs are often underdiagnosed and their prevalence is underestimated. Methods. We studied 163 patients (125 women, 76.7%, 38 men, 23.3%; median age 45.0 years; median disease duration 10 years; median EDSS 3.5) with definite MS (n = 150, 92%) or clinically isolated syndrome (n = 13, 8%) who underwent a thorough clinical examination of eye movements. Data on localization of previous relapses, MS subtype, and MRI findings were collected and analyzed. Results. Overall, 111/163 (68.1%) patients showed at least one abnormality of eye movement. Most frequent OMDs were impaired smooth pursuit (42.3%), saccadic dysmetria (41.7%), unilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia (14.7%), slowing of saccades (14.7%), skew deviation (13.5%), and gaze evoked nystagmus (13.5%). Patients with OMDs had more severe disability (P = 0.0005) and showed more frequently infratentorial MRI lesions (P = 0.004). Localization of previous relapses was not associated with presence of OMDs. Conclusion. OMDs are frequent in patients with stable (no relapses) MS. A precise bedside examination of eye motility can disclose abnormalities that imply the presence of subclinical MS lesions and may have a substantial impact on definition of the diagnosis and on management of MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34100 Trieste, Italy ; Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Caremeau, 30029 Nîmes, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Servillo
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Caremeau, 30029 Nîmes, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Renard
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Caremeau, 30029 Nîmes, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taieb
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Guy de Chauliac, 34090 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Labauge
authors.affiliation: Service de Epidemiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Caremeau, 30029 Nîmes, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bastide
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34100 Trieste, Italy ; UCO di Neurologia, Ospedale di Cattinara, Strada di Fiume 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zorzon
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Caremeau, 30029 Nîmes, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castelnovo