Brief screening for motor and cognitive functioning is critical to monitor disease status in MS. The iPad-administered Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test (MSPT) provides an efficient device-based assessment for routine outpatient visits. Through the MS Partners Advancing Technology and Health Solutions (MS PATHS) initiative, a large consecutively recruited outpatient sample was recruited through the NYU Langone MS Comprehensive Care Center. In addition, cognitive processing speed test (PST), manual dexterity test (MDT) and the walking speed test (WST) were compared with employment status.  

A total of n=1002 participants have completed the MSPT assessment since March 2016. The sample is largely female (72%), white (52%), with 60% over 40 years old, and a disease duration of 0-10 years (51%). N=158 reported being disabled, compared to n = 468 having part or full time employment. As expected, disabled patients were significantly older (51.2±10.2 years vs. 42.1±11.3 years, p<0.001). Controlling for age, disabled patients compared to employed patients had significantly lower MDT scores, F (1, 626) = 69.66, p<0.001) but not WST, F (1, 626) = 0.190, p = 0.66). A binary logistic regression predicting disability or employment with dependent variables of age, PST, MDT and WST confirmed a stronger contribution of MDT (β = 0.94, p<0.001) compared to WST (β = 0.94, p=0.06).