Inpatient Rehabilitation for Multiple Sclerosis

To study the outcome of inpatient rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS), we con-ducted retrospective chart review and follow-up telephone interviews (six to thirty-six months after discharge) with thirty-seven consecutive MS patients admitted for reha-bilitation following functional decline related to disease activity, trauma, or surgery. Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Kurtzke Functional Systems (FS), and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores at admission, discharge, and follow-up were analyzed. Of the thirty-seven patients, six had relapsing-remitting (RR), five relapsing progressive (RP), and twenty-six chronic progressive (CP) disease patterns. For all groups combined, significant improvements between admission and discharge were seen in FIM (p =.0001), FS (p =.0001), and EDSS (p =.0001) scores. Gains were partly maintained between discharge and follow-up. FS and FIM subscales were exam-ined to ascertain which deficits were most amenable to rehabilitation therapies. Inpa-tient rehabilitation is associated with significant functional improvement for MS patients. Key Words: Multiple sclerosis—Neurorehabilitation. The efficacy of inpatient rehabilitation in multiple