Objective: The aim of our study was to observe the clinical characteristics of different movement disorders (MD) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Background: Demyelinating diseases (DDs) have been associated with the occurrence of movement disorders (MDs). Previously, it was believed that movement disorders were infrequent in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Nevertheless, the actual frequency and occurrence of MDs in multiple sclerosis (MS) remains uncertain due to the predominantly retrospective nature or limited scope of prior studies, which have primarily involved small case series or review articles.

Method: A cross-sectional study done on MS patients who are following or admitted at Al-Azhar university hospitals. We aim to see the prevalence of different types of MD which occur with MS patients. The clinical characteristics of those MDs and MS.

Results: A total of 72 MS patients with involuntary movements were included in the present study. There were 43 (59.7%) females, and 29 (40.3%) males with a mean (SD) age of 27.5 (9.1) years old. The mean (SD) of MS duration was 41.5 (45.6) months. Most of them (86.1%) were diagnosed with RRMS, while only 10 (13.9%) patients were diagnosed with SPMS with a mean (SD) of EDSS of 2.8 (1.7). Different types of involuntary movements whether in the upper or lower limbs were reported in the included study with ataxia being the most common in 33 (45.8%) of patients, followed by spasm in 17 (23.6%), tremors in 14 (19.4%), and restless leg syndrome in 9 (12.5%) patients. These involuntary movements were presenting with first occurrence of MS in 30 (41.6%) patients, while they occurred after a mean (SD) of 30.1 (33.4) months from the diagnosis of MS in the rest of patients (58.4%).

Conclusion: Regardless of It was previously believed that MS patients rarely experienced MDs. In patients with multiple sclerosis, there was evidence of a wide variety of MDs. These MD can manifest as the first sign of illness or as the early disease progresses.

References: – Abboud, Hesham, Xin Xin Yu, Konrad Knusel, Hubert H. Fernandez, and Jeffrey A. Cohen. 2019. “Movement Disorders in Early MS and Related Diseases.” Neurology: Clinical Practice 9 (1): 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000560.
– Suarez-Cedeno, Gerson, and Raja Mehanna. 2021. “Movement Disorders in Multiple Sclerosis and Other Demyelinating Diseases.” The Neurologist 26 (5): 161–66. https://doi.org/10.1097/NRL.0000000000000333.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/clinical-characteristics-of-movement-disorders-associated-with-multiple-sclerosis-patients-a-cross-sectional-preliminary-single-center-results/