EU Marie Curie - MS Fatiguee

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common debilitating disease in young adults worldwide. Diagnosed in over 2.3 million people, this neuro-immunological disease is most prevalent in Europe and North America, with over 120,000 diagnosed cases in Germany alone. Great strides have been made in developing medications that slow disease progression, however, the daily symptomatology of MS remains largely untreated. Despite great individual variation in this symptomatology, “MS fatigue” verges on characteristic, reported by 80% of patients. However, there is currently no standardized means of evaluating or treating MS fatigue. This research seeks to develop, validate, and standardize an instrument for objectively measuring MS fatigue. At the core of this measurement tool is the standardized Movement Behavior Analysis and Scales Test (i.e., BAST), developed by Prof. Dr. med. Hedda Lausberg. This movement test affords a robust analysis of movement ability and disability, enabling measurement of symptoms including gait, balance, and spasticity.

BAST test data and pre- and post-test vital signs of 40 persons with MS will be compared to that of 40 neurotypical matched controls. If the BAST is shown to reliably measure MS fatigue, then a testing and rating system for large-scale clinical use will be developed.