Contribution of impaired mobility to patient burden in multiple sclerosis

AbstractBackground:Multiple sclerosis (MS) is frequently diagnosed during a person’s most productive years, and because life expectancy for patients with MS approaches that of the general population, MS is associated with a considerable economic burden from medical costs and lost productivity. In addition, there is a substantial negative impact on quality of life (QOL) and activities of daily living (ADL). While change in walking ability often is the most visible sign of MS, and the classic clinical manifestation, few studies have evaluated the relationship between mobility impairment and patient-reported outcomes like ADL and QOL. The purpose of this article is to review the contribution of mobility impairment to patient-reported outcomes in persons with MS.Methods:Searches of PubMed were performed to identify studies from the MS literature, from January 1980 through November 2008, that evaluated the contribution of mobility to the patient burden of disease. Abstracts identified using the search terms ‘m...