Patient-Reported Outcome of Physical Therapy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Observational Online Study.

The online follow-up was small: 27 consented and only 20 completed the 20-week assessment. Male patients were overrepresented, and women were more likely to stop the online assessment early. Participants who withdrew had a trend towards faster progression, lower well-being and lower recommendation of physical therapy, so the completed cohort may be more positive. The study was single centre, at a specialist ALS centre supported by a case management platform in a country where physical therapy costs are mostly covered by compulsory health insurance. The study was observational, and the data were not adjusted for multiple comparisons. The recommendation measure was a single-item Net Promoter Score style rating, which the authors note may be less reliable than a composite index. MYMOP had not been used in patients with ALS before. The cohort had longer disease duration and slower progression than average ALS populations. This may influence attitudes towards physical therapy.

Do not conclude that physical therapy slowed ALS progression or caused higher satisfaction. Function and patient-reported symptoms worsened, and special treatments were delivered alongside physical therapy, so their separate contribution cannot be separated.