NCT06699095

Home Rehabilitation As Continuity of Care in MS

"Tele-riabilitazione in Sclerosi Multipla: Continuità Terapeutica Domiciliare Dopo Trattamento Di Neuro-riabilitazione Intensiva, Studio Randomizzato Controllato Con Piattaforma Integrata Per La Riabilitazione Del Disequilibrio"

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

RCT pilot study to evaluate adherence, satisfaction and feasibility in the use of a telemedicine station for balance rehabilitation in patients with multiple sclerosis. The platform is designed as a tool for maintenance rehabilitation in a home setting and not as an alternative to intensive treatment in hospital, and is therefore compared to maintenance treatment as usual (TAU) after intensive treatment.

Detailed description

Balance deficit represents one of the most frequent symptoms in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) and one of the most disabling. Neuromotor rehabilitation is a fundamental tool for managing these symptoms: therapeutic exercise is currently the best choice for treating balance deficit. Once improvements has been achieved, this generally does not persist for a long time due to the underlying chronic-degenerative pathology: this reduction in clinical benefit, which can be graphically defined as a 'loss curve', is difficult to define due to individual differences, but it affects all MS patients. In recent years, new technologies are emerging, such as virtual reality and serious gaming, which are not presented as an alternative to intensive treatment but could find their ideal dimension in extensive treatment, allowing the patient to maintain the results achieved once the period of intensive treatment in a specialised rehabilitation facility is over. The specific objectives of this feasibility study are: to refine technical aspects of the Neuro Rehability system, to evaluate acceptability and satisfaction with its use by PwMS, to evaluate the recruitment process, adherence to the intervention, the number of drop-outs and identify potential problems, to evaluate the human resource requirements for the subsequent RCT study, to estimate the intervention effect and its variance necessary to calculate the appropriate sample size for the RCT.. Assessments will be carried out before the start (T0) and at the end (T1) of the treatment. The control group is asked to continue performing at home the normal physical activities that they may already be performing for the duration of the 12 weeks (TAU = treatment as usual). The experimental group is asked to perform the exercises of the Rehability platform, previously set up by the rehabilitation team on the basis of the training performed during the intensive rehabilitation period in the facility, at least 3 times a week and for at least 40 minutes per session. For both groups, no rehabilitation treatment will be possible except sphincter and phoniatric rehabilitation and psychological support. A descriptive statistical analysis will be used to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of the sample. Standard data analysis techniques will be used to analyse the variables collected in both the feasibility study and the RCT. An electronic CRF will be set up to collect: clinical and demographic data on the recruited subjects; results of the tests/questionnaires.

Conditions

• Multiple Sclerosis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Telerehabilitation	Patients will perform a 12 weeks rehabilitation program through telemedicine at home after intensive rehabilitation in hospital. Balance rehabilitation program will be scheduled on the patients' need and ability to be performed three times a week with high levels of satisfaction and safety at home under remote control of the physical therapist.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-11-06
• Primary completion: 2025-11-06
• Completion: 2025-11-15
• First posted: 2024-11-21
• Last updated: 2024-11-21

Locations

3 sites across 1 country: Italy