Measurement Properties of the Walking Adaptability Ladder Test and Foot Tap Test in Multiple Sclerosis

Walking and motor control impairments are among the most common manifestations experienced by people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) and may already be present in individuals with mild disability. Subtle changes in walking performance can reflect early disease progression, highlighting the need for sensitive clinical outcome measures that capture complex, real-world mobility. Commonly used assessments primarily quantify time or distance and may lack sensitivity to detect early or subtle functional changes in daily-life walking. Successful everyday mobility requires gait adaptability, defined as the ability to continuously adjust walking patterns in response to environmental or task-related challenges, including the processing of external perturbations and internal factors such as fatigue, balance confidence, and fear of falling. Despite its clinical relevance, gait adaptability is not spe