Corpus Callosum Structural Integrity Is Associated With Postural Control Improvement in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis Who Have Minimal Disability.

Only 24 people with MS and 14 healthy adults were analysed, and the MS group had mild symptoms and was mostly relapsing-remitting, so results may not apply to more severe or secondary progressive MS. The participants had to walk 500 m without assistance and stand on their toes for 3 seconds, so the study says little about people with greater disability. The study compared people with MS to healthy adults and related brain measures to learning scores. It did not randomise treatment or compare a balance program with no treatment, so it cannot show that the training caused lasting clinical benefit. Lesion load was not measured and sensory loss was not accounted for, both of which could affect balance performance or learning. Retention was measured only on the next day. The primary imaging measure was not related to retention, while a secondary measure was, so the imaging finding is not consistent across outcomes.

The publication types report U.S. government and non-U.S. government research support. Dr. Horak and OHSU have equity or interest in APDM, a company that may have a commercial interest in the results. This potential conflict was reviewed and managed by the Portland VA Medical Center and OHSU. No other authors declared conflicts.

Do not use corpus callosum integrity to choose which patients will improve with balance training. The study showed an association in a small group of people with mild MS, not a tested clinical predictor, and it did not show that the training improved daily walking or falls.