Correlation of Timed 25-Foot Walk Benchmarks with Disability and Daily Activities in MS

The Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW) is a popular measure of multiple sclerosis (MS) ambulatory function, but its clinical meaningfulness has not been established. Investigators examined the relationship of the T25FW within the MS population to activities of daily living (ADLs), disability, and mobility.

For initial benchmark development, this cross-sectional study first collected questionnaires from about 160 patients on employment, instrumental ADLs, walking devices, and patient-reported outcomes. Next, an additional 95 patients were used as a validation cohort.

Significant differences in clinical outcomes were seen with walking thresholds of 6 and 8 seconds (s). Categorizing normal to mildly impaired as times <6.0 s, moderately impaired as 6.0 t…