Study of Tysabri in Early Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Participants

The EDSS is used to quantify disability due to symptoms of MS and to track changes in disability status over time. Scores range from 0 (normal neurological exam) to 10 (death due to multiple sclerosis).

The WPAI questionnaire is a validated instrument to measure impairments in work and activities. The WPAI yields four types of scores: 1. Absenteeism (work time missed) 2. Presenteesism (impairment at work / reduced on-the-job effectiveness) 3. Work productivity loss (overall work impairment / absenteeism plus presenteeism) 4. Activity Impairment. WPAI outcomes are expressed as impairment percentages ranging from 0-100%, with higher numbers indicating greater impairment and less productivity.

The FSS is a self-assessment questionnaire that provides a score as a measurement of the severity of fatigue. It consists of 9 questions scored from 1 to 7. A low value (e.g., 1); indicates strong disagreement with the statement, whereas a high value (e.g., 7); indicates strong agreement. A total score of 36 or more suggests presence of fatigue.

MSFC has 2 component- timed 25-foot walk (T25FW) and 9-hole peg test (9HPT) [dominant and nondominant hands]. The MSFC Z-score is calculated by creating Z-scores for each component of the MSFC and averaging them to create an overall composite score. MSFC Z-score = (Z25-foot-walk + Z9HPT-2)/2, where Zj refers to Z-scores of component j. A Z-score represented the number of standard deviations participant's test result was higher (Z >0) or lower (Z <0) than the average test result (Z = 0) from the reference population. Higher scores indicate better outcomes.

BDI-II Scale is a 21-item self-reported questionnaire which measures the existence and severity of symptoms of depression. Each of the 21 items on BDI-II tool represents a depressive symptom. The symptoms are each scored on a 4-point Likert scale of 0 to 3 (0=symptom is absent; 3=symptom is severe). Scores for each symptom are added up to obtain the total scores for all 21 items. Total score ranges from 0-63; of which 0-8 is considered no depression, 0-13 is minimal depression, 14-19 is mild depression, 20-28 is moderate depression and 29-63 is severe depression.

MSIS-29 is a brief self-administered instrument measuring physical (20 items) and psychological (9 items) impact of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Each of the 29 items on MSIS-29 tool is a question that ask for participants views about the impact of MS on their day to day lives. Each item is scored on 1 to 5 (1=Not at all; 5=Extremely).