ArticleJournal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPT2025
Examination of Proprioceptive Reliance During Backward Walking in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis.
Article in Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPT, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Motor, Cognitive, Psychological, and Neural Predictors of Concern About Falling in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repair · 2026Article
- Steps to Health: Backward Walking Predicts Physical Activity Levels in Multiple Sclerosis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repair · 2026Article
- Neural correlates of forward and backward walking in MS: insights from myelin water imaging.Experimental brain research · 2025Article
- Backward Walking as a Marker of Mobility and Disability in Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Predicting Real-World Physical Activity in Multiple Sclerosis: An Integrated Approach Using Clinical, Sensor-Based, and Self-Reported Measures.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The Relation Among Reactive Stepping and Fall-Related Psychological Factors in Multiple Sclerosis.Brain sciences · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSlowed somatosensory conduction in multiple sclerosis (MS) increases postural instability and decreases proprioception. Despite these delays, individuals with MS rely more on proprioception for balance compared to controls. This heightened reliance, combined with slowed signal transduction, increases fall risk. Backward walking (BW) increases proprioceptive reliance by reducing visual cues. However, no study has conclusively linked proprioception to BW. This study aims to assess proprioception's role in BW compared to forward walking (FW) in MS and to compare differences in proprioception between MS fallers and non-fallers.
methodsFifty participants (average age: 50.34 ± 11.84, median Patient Determined Disease Steps [PDDS]: 2) completed the study. Participants completed BW and FW at comfortable and fast speeds. We have previously established vibration sensation as a proxy measure for proprioception. Vibration thresholds were quantified at the great toe bilaterally using a 2-alternative forced-choice procedure.
resultsSignificant correlations were seen for vibration sensation and FW comfortable ( ρ = 0.35), FW fast ( ρ = 0.34), BW comfortable ( ρ = 0.46), and BW fast ( ρ = 0.46). After controlling for age, sex, and PDDS, vibration sensation significantly predicted performance during all walking tasks, with larger beta coefficients seen during BW (comfortable β = 0.57; fast β = 0.58) compared to FW (comfortable β = 0.41; fast β = 0.45). Fallers performed significantly worse than non-fallers for vibration sensation ( P = 0.04). DISCUSSION AND
conclusionsConsidering the notable decrease in proprioception in participants with MS and the clear distinction between fallers and non-fallers, it is crucial to conduct fall risk assessments and interventions focusing on proprioception. With its heightened reliance on proprioception, BW offers a promising method for assessing fall risk and could be an effective exercise intervention. Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Supplemental Digital Content available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A490 ).
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.