Supported Treadmill Training for Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Trial

Official title: Body-weight Supported Treadmill Training in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Trial

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

This study is a pilot trial to evaluate the effects of supported treadmill walking in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) on functional and psychosocial outcomes. Patients will exercise three times per week over the course of 6 months and will be evaluated at baseline, 12 weeks and 24 weeks into the program. Follow-up testing will also be conducted 12 weeks after participants have stopped exercising to determined the lasting effects of the intervention.

The investigators hypothesize that supported treadmill walking will be effective at improving physical physical function and psychosocial outcomes in patients with primary progressive MS.

Clinical Trial Description

The use of exercise as an adjunct to other disease modifying treatments in MS has found increasing support over the past decade. There is ample evidence that exercise therapy can improve physical measures of disability in MS, in addition to being safe and well-tolerated. However, there is a paucity of data on whether exercise is equally effective for those with primary progressive MS as it is in relapsing remitting MS. In addition, studies of exercise therapy have traditionally excluded MS patients with severe disability. There are also currently no treatments for primary progressive MS, so finding a safe disease-modifying therapy is of the utmost importance. The investigators are therefore conducting a pilot trial to evaluate the effects of exercise in the form of supported treadmill walking for patients with primary progressive MS with severe functional impairments.

Six patients with primary progressive MS with high disability level will be recruited to participate in this study. Participants will exercise using body-weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT; Woodway Loco-system) which allows a portion of an individual's body-weight to be counterbalanced by an overhead pulley system. This system allows patients with limited mobility to walk upright on the treadmill with therapist assistance. Therapists trained in using the BWSTT system will guide the patients' legs through a proper gait motion and assist with lower limb control. Participants will complete 72 training sessions (30min/session, 3x/week) over the course of 24 weeks. Participants will be evaluated at baseline, 12 weeks (half-way through the training program) and 24 weeks (end of intervention). A follow-up assessment will also be performed 12 after participants have completed the training program (36 weeks). Outcome measures are described below. ;

Study Design

Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment, Masking: Open Label

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Sclerosis

• NCT number: NCT01339234
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Hicks, Audrey, Ph.D.
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: April 2008
• Completion date: June 2009