Highlights
- •Knee position sense, dynamic balance, and dual task performance decreased in the early follicular phase in females with multiple sclerosis.
- •Static balance did not change in both groups during the menstrual cycle.
- •Dynamic balance and gait performance differed between females with multiple sclerosis and control group.
- •Each phase of the menstrual cycle should be taken into consideration in the follow-up of physiotherapy evaluations in females with multiple sclerosis.
Abstract
Background
Sex hormones have been thought to play an important role in disease progression and
inflammatory activity in females with multiple sclerosis. The aim of this study was
to investigate knee position sense, balance, and dual task performance in different
phases of menstrual cycle in females with multiple sclerosis.
Methods
The study included 14 females diagnosed with MS and 13 healthy females with regular
menstrual cycles who did not use oral contraceptives. The disability level was determined
using the Expanded Disability Status Scale. The mental state was assessed using the
Mini-Mental State Examination. Knee position sense was evaluated with an Acumar dual
digital inclinometer (Acu360, Acumar, Lafayette, IN, USA). The balance was measured
with the Biodex Balance System (Biodex Medical Systems, Shirley, NY, USA). Time taken
to complete the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) under 3 conditions (TUG without task, TUG
with counting backward from 100 by 3s or listing the names starting with the letter
“A” [TUGcognitive], and TUG while carrying three glasses of water on a tray [TUGmotor]) was measured. Measurements were conducted in the early follicular, ovulation, and
luteal phases.
Results
As a result, it was found that knee position sense, dynamic balance, and dual task
performance decreased in the early follicular phase in both the group of females with
multiple sclerosis and the control group (p<0.05). The change of dynamic balance and
gait performance in the three phases of the menstrual cycle were different between
the groups (p<0.05).
Conclusion
As a result, it was found that knee position sense, dynamic balance, and dual task
performance in females with multiple sclerosis changed throughout the menstrual cycle.
The change in dynamic balance and gait performance differed from the control group
during the menstrual cycle. Therefore, we think that each phase of the menstrual cycle
should be taken into consideration in the follow-up of physiotherapy evaluations in
females with multiple sclerosis.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 01, 2020
Accepted:
May 21,
2020
Received in revised form:
May 19,
2020
Received:
March 26,
2020
Footnotes
The study protocol was registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04286828).
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
