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Many people with peripheral neuropathies have difficulty in walking, require walking aids and experience restricted outdoor mobility. 1, 2 Walking ability is not comprehensively examined by the common measures used in peripheral neuropathy. The 12-Item Walking Scale (MSWS-12; appendix) was designed to examine patients' perception of their walking ability in multiple sclerosis. 3 It is a questionnaire completed by patients and consists of 12 items that are answered from five possible options (1-5). The final score is calculated by subtracting the minimal score possible (12) from the total score and calculating it as a percentage. 3 A higher score indicates a greater limitation in perceived walking ability. It is consistent, reliable, responsive and correlates strongly with physical functioning in people with multiple sclerosis. 3, 4 Although initially developed for patients with multiple sclerosis, the use of the scale in patients with peripheral neuropathy may be valid, as walking is a generic activity and many patients with peripheral neuropathy report problems similar to those dealt with in the questions of the MSWS-12. Thus, we investigated the clinimetric properties of the MSWS-12, renaming it the Walk-12, as suggested by the authors of the original paper, 3 in patients with peripheral neuropathies.
METHODS
We recruited 50 consecutive patients with any form of peripheral neuropathy who attended the peripheral nerve clinic at Guy's Hospital, London, and 15 community-dwelling volunteers with peripheral neuropathy who attended King's College London, London, for testing. Approval was granted by the local ethical and audit committee. All assessments were carried out by a physiotherapist (RCG) or a consultant neurologist (RACH).
In addition to the Walk-12, we collected the Medical Research Council (MRC) Sum Score (adapted to include the first dorsal interossei, and therefore scored from 70), 5 the time taken to walk 10 m as quickly as possible and two disability questionnaires, the Overall Disability Sum Score (ODSS) and the Overall Neuropathy Limitations Scale (ONLS). 6 Patients were asked to complete the Walk-12 by the end of their visit. The analysis and interpretation of scores on the Walk-12 was not carried out until all other data had been collected. Fifteen participants also completed the 36-Item Short-Form (SF-36) Questionnaire. 7 Twelve participants completed the Walk-12 on a second occasion, 1 week after the initial measurement.
The...