NCT01992679

Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis

Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training in Advanced Multiple Sclerosis

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1 / Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 24 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 55 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

There is growing evidence that exercise-based rehabilitation results in improvements in mobility and participation in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the vast majority of the scientific evidence in support of this view is based on persons with MS who have minimal mobility impairment. This is partially due to the lack of accessible exercise equipment and facilities available to persons with severe mobility limitations. One option available to persons with severe mobility limitations is body weight supported treadmill training. Indeed, this rehabilitation approach has been utilized with some success in various clinical populations, such as stroke and spinal cord injury, and is believed to target neuroplasticity. Specific to persons with MS, body weight supported treadmill training has shown great promise in improving quality of life, symptoms and functional mobility in two small (n=4 and n=6) pilot investigations. However, previous research has been hampered by methodological limitations including small sample size, lack of a control group and limited training sessions. Consequently, no firm conclusion regarding the benefit of body weighted supported treadmill training in persons with MS can be drawn. The proposed project seeks to determine if twenty-weeks of body weight supported treadmill training leads to improvements in physiological function, mobility and quality of life in persons with MS with severe mobility limitations. The outcomes of this project have the potential to lead to new rehabilitation approaches capable of improving function and quality of life in persons with advanced MS.

Detailed description

One option available to persons with severe mobility limitations is body weight supported treadmill training. Indeed, this rehabilitation approach has been utilized with some success in various clinical populations, such as stroke and spinal cord injury, and is believed to target neuroplasticity. Specific to persons with MS, body weight supported treadmill training has shown great promise in improving quality of life, symptoms and functional mobility in two small (n=4 and n=6) pilot investigations. However, previous research has been hampered by methodological limitations including small sample size, lack of a control group and limited training sessions. Consequently, no firm conclusion regarding the benefit of body weighted supported treadmill training in persons with MS can be drawn. The proposed project seeks to determine if twenty-weeks of body weight supported treadmill training leads to improvements in physiological function, mobility and quality of life in persons with MS with severe mobility limitations. The outcomes of this project have the potential to lead to new rehabilitation approaches capable of improving function and quality of life in persons with advanced MS.

Conditions

• Multiple Sclerosis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Exercise group	The BWSTT program will consist of biweekly training sessions for 20 weeks. Per neurorecovery network guidelines, each training session will include a minimum of 20 minutes of locomotor training and 20 minutes of balance training. Training will take place on a Therastride which consists of a treadmill with an air pressure powered pulley system connected to a harness system. The locomotor training strategy focuses on proper gait mechanics, including weight bearing, shifting and maintaining body positioning. Manipulating the participant's legs is done in such a way as to provide appropriate sensory-motor cues that facilitate the development and refinement of walking pattern.

Timeline

• Start date: 2013-10-01
• Primary completion: 2014-09-01
• Completion: 2014-09-01
• First posted: 2013-11-25
• Last updated: 2014-12-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States