ECTRIMS 2023 | Disability assessment and quantification in people with severely affected MS

Dejan Jakimovski, MD, PhD, Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Buffalo, NY, describes the CASA-MS project, an initiative focusing on comprehensively assessing individuals severely affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Such patients, often bedridden and unable to vocalize, are typically sidelined in both research and clinical spheres. Collaborating with The Boston Home, a dedicated facility in Massachusetts, the study examined 53 individuals with intense MS-related disabilities. The research discovered that the conventional EDSS (Expanded Disability Status Scale) did not capture the full range of physical impairments. By comparing various assessment scores, the study found that the Scripps Neurological Rating Scale (SNRS) and Combinatorial Weight-Adjusted Disability Score (CombiWISE) better represented the breadth of disabilities and correlated more accurately with MRI pathology. This suggests the potential limitations of the EDSS in capturing the intricacies of severe MS cases. This interview took place at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Congress 2023 in Milan, Italy.

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