The Two-Minute Walk Test in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis: Correlations of Cadence with Free-Living Walking Do Not Support Ecological Validity

Viktoria Karle, Verena Hartung, Keti Ivanovska, Mathias Mäurer, Peter Flachenecker, Klaus Pfeifer and Alexander Tallner
Additional contact information
Viktoria Karle: Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Verena Hartung: Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Keti Ivanovska: Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Mathias Mäurer: Department of Neurology, Klinikum Würzburg Mitte gGmbH Standort Juliusspital, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
Peter Flachenecker: Neurological Rehabilitation Center Quellenhof, 75323 Bad Wildbad, Germany
Klaus Pfeifer: Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Alexander Tallner: Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-11

Abstract: The two-minute walk test (2MWT) is a frequently used walking capacity test in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, less is known about its relevance with regards to walking capacity during free-living walking performance. Therefore, the ecological validity of the 2MWT was tested by 1. computing free-living minutes with the same intensity (cadence) as during the 2MWT and 2. investigating the relationship between 2MWT cadence and minutes with the same cadence during free-living walking. 20 pwMS aged 44.2 ± 12.2 (Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 3.1 ± 1.4) performed a 2MWT and wore an accelerometer for seven days. The number of pwMS reaching 100%, 90%, 80% or 70% of 2MWT cadence for at least one minute a day and minutes/day with at least 100%, 90%, 80% and 70% of 2MWT cadence during free-living walking was calculated. Six participants reached 100% of the 2MWT cadence for at least one minute/day during free-living walking. A total of 80% 2MWT cadence was the first intensity category that was reached by all participants during free-living walking. No significant correlation was found between cadence in the 2MWT and minutes in which this cadence was reached during free-living walking. Ecological validity with regard to walking intensity could not be confirmed in our study sample.

Keywords: multiple sclerosis; two-minute walk test; ecological validity; habitual walking; free-living walking; walking performance; accelerometry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/23/9044/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/23/9044/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:23:p:9044-:d:456704

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().