Table 7.

Clinical and demographic features associated with disability and secondary progression in different natural history studies⁸

Location	Endpoint	From onset of multiple sclerosis		Age at the onset of the disability
		Positively associated with better outcome	Not associated	Positively associated with better outcome	Not associated
Göteborg,Sweden	DSS 6	Younger onset age; monoregional onset symptoms; RR disease course	Gender; specific onset symptoms: optic neuritis, brainstem,spinal symptoms;season of birth	--	--
London, Ontario,Canada	DSS 6	Female gender;younger onset age; RR disease course; onset symptoms: presence of optic nerve involvement; absence of motor (insidious) or limb ataxia/balance symptoms	Onset symptoms: sensory, motor (acute), diplopia, and/or vertigo	--	--
Lyon, France	EDMUS impairment scale (DSS adapted)	Female gender; younger onset age; onset symptoms: presence of optic neuritis; absence of long-tract involvement; RR disease course	Brainstem involvement	Female gender; older onset age; RR disease course (for DSS 4&6, not7)	Onset symptoms: optic neuritis; brainstem or long tracts involvement
Lyon, France	SPMS	Female gender	Onset symptoms: long tracts, optic neuritis, brainstem	--	--
British Columbia, Canada	DSS 6	Female gender; younger onset age; RR disease course	Onset symptoms: motor, sensory, optic neuropathy, or cerebellar, ataxia, or brainstem; month or season of birth	Older onset age; RR diseasecourse	Gender; onset symptoms: motor, sensory,optic neuropathy, or cerebellar, ataxia, or brainstem; month or season of birth

DSS: Disability Status Scale; EDSS: Expanded Disability Status Scale; EDMUS: European Database for Multiple Sclerosis; NA: Not available; RR: Relapsing-remitting; SPMS: Secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis

Studies have been placed in approximately chronological order, starting with the oldest. Findings from multivariate analysis were reported where possible.