Walking performance is associated with quality of life and disability in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the patients physical and psychological state. Despite research, the relationships between quality of life (QoL), disability, and physical activity in MS remain insufficiently understood; this study examines associations in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). METHODS: A total of 41 patients with RRMS with an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) level of 0-5.5 and 20 healthy controls completed the MS Functional Composite (MSFC) test, the RAND-physical component summary (RAND-PCS), the RAND-mental component summary (RAND-MCS), and the 15-dimensional (15D) measures of health-related QoL. Physical activity and walking performance were assessed using an accelerometer for seven days and the six-minute walk test (6MWT). RESULTS: RAND‑36 and 15D scores were significantly lower in RRMS patients than controls and in the EDSShigh than the EDSSlow group. Disability was strongly associated with lower QoL, with moderate to strong negative correlations between EDSS and RAND-PCS (ρ = -0.663, p < 0.001), RAND-MCS (ρ = -0.694, p < 0.001) and 15D (ρ = -0.822, p < 0.001), respectively. Intensity-based measures (MVPA/MVPS) showed no association with QoL, whereas daily step count was associated with RAND-MCS (r = 0.320, p = 0.050), and 6MWT performance was associated with all QoL measures (RAND-PCS: r = 0.357, p = 0.024; RAND-MCS: r = 0.410, p = 0.009; 15D: r = 0.460, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: In RRMS, preserved functional mobility, rather than daily activity, appears to be more closely associated with QoL, highlighting the clinical relevance of performance-based walking measures.