Tactile temporal thresholds detect relapse-related changes in multiple sclerosis: a preliminary study

Background: Tactile temporal thresholds, which represent the time separating the onset of two tactile stimuli when they are judged as simultaneous, can differentiate a group of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) from normal controls. Demyelination, axonal injury and loss, and altered information processing all occur in MS and may cause these increased thresholds. Thus, tactile temporal thresholds may be a useful outcome measure in MS. Our objective was to assess whether tactile temporal thresholds reflect change during a MS relapse. Methods: During a study to evaluate the stability of tactile temporal thresholds in people with MS, two participants suffered relapses. Both events were associated with prolonged thresholds (i.e., significantly increased thresholds). Conclusions: Tactile temporal thresholds can detect neurologic worsening and thus warrant further evaluation as a useful method to facilitate in the monitoring of disease change in people with MS.