title: Effect of spasticity on kinematics of gait and muscular activation in people with Multiple Sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study proposes to characterize the gait patterns of individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affected by spasticity using quantitative gait analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study on 38 individuals with MS, 19 affected by lower limb spasticity and 19 not affected, the latter forming the control group. Both groups were evaluated while walking using three-dimensional gait analysis. Spatio-temporal parameters of gait, kinematic data expressed by means of Gait Profile Score (GPS) and Range of Motion (ROM), as well as muscular activation, were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that spasticity originates a peculiar gait pattern characterized by reduced speed, cadence, stride length, swing phase and increased double support time, but they also reveal specific alterations in kinematics and muscular activation. In particular, significantly higher values of GPS, reduced hip and knee flexion-extension ROM and abnormal activation of the rectus femoris were observed in individuals with spasticity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In people with MS presenting spastic gait, the availability of quantitative data appears crucial in verifying the effectiveness of pharmacologic and rehabilitative treatments, also considering that spasticity scales may not be satisfactory in relating the assessed spasticity with both perception of the patients and the actual body functionalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: massimiliano.pau@dimcm.unica.it.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pau
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coghe
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Corona
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Giovanna
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Marrosu
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cocco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Electromyography (EMG); Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS); Gait; Gait Profile Score (GPS); Kinematics; Motion analysis; Multiple Sclerosis (MS); Spasticity