Multiple Sclerosis subjects plantar pressure-A new tool for postural instability diagnosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory, demyelinating disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS), and is the most common progressive neurological disease in young adults. Debilitating motor and sensory function are the major features of the disease. Balance disorders are associated with ambulation difficulties, sustaining an upright posture, and performing functional activities such as turning. Those skills predispose people with MS to loss the balance control and fall. An adequate evaluation of postural instability is essential for monitoring the various stages of disease. Sometimes clinical balance tests may not detect subtle deficits in adults with MS who are not yet experiencing functional limitations or disability. It's important to develop new instruments that could identify subtle impairments before they lead to functional decline. The purpose of this study was to determine if Center Of Pressure (COP) displacement assessed by plantar pressure could be a useful performance-based evaluative measure for adults with MS comparing with a clinical examination using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Twentynine subjects with MS were compared with 28 healthy adults. Subjects with MS performed a plantar pressure assessment in upright standing position and in the stance phase of gait (1-step protocol) and were also tested with the BBS. Control subjects performed the same test that MS group. COP measures show clear differences when comparing healthy adults with adults with MS. We found cinematic alterations of COP properties in all positions in multiple sclerosis group. A clinical approach that usually tests postural Stability (BBS) is ineffective in small postural disturbances.