The effect of sensory changes in the lower extremity in the patients with multiple sclerosis

Purpose: Our study was designed to investigate the effects of sensory changes in lowerextremity in the patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).Subjects and Methods: Our study involved 19 patients with MS who were referred toNeurology Department at Dokuz Eylül University and 18 healthy subjects. Neurootologicassessments and sensory examination were performed in two groups. Sensory examinationincluded light touch sensation, two-point discrimination and position sense.Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament, McKinnon-Dellon discriminator and graded plate wasused for sensory examination. Balance Master NeuroCom 8.0 Equipment was used in theassessment of balance. The data was analysed on SPSS 11.0 program, Mann-Whitney U Test,Pearson?s correlation test and Chi-square test were used.Results: Light touch sensation and position sense were decreased in patients with MS(p<0.05), but two-point discrimination wasn?t decreased (p>0.05). The directional control,balance in unilateral stance when the eyes open, walking speed in walk-across and step widthin tandem walk were decreased (p<0.05), but the other parametres were same (p>0.05).Light touch sensation was effective on the balance in the step length and walking speed inwalk-across and the step width in tandem walk (p<0.05). The position sense and two-pointdiscrimination were not effective (p>0.05).Conclusion: The light touch sensation and position sense are disordered, but the two-pointdiscrimination and some of the balance parametres are not influenced. Decreased light touchsensation has negative effect in balance.