Understanding the Relationship Between Cutaneous Sensation, Balance, and Falls in People With Multiple Sclerosis

Results indicate that the latency (but not length) of reactive stepping is related to standing sway, cutaneous sensation, and (via previous analyses) falls. Further, mediation analyses suggest that poor sensation leads to greater sway and slower reactive steps, which lead to greater fall risk. Together, these results inform links between balance outcomes and quantitatively confirm previous hypotheses regarding possible pathways through which sensory deficits contribute to falls.