Comparison Between the Effects on Fatigue of Aerobic Training Versus Balance Training in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: a Randomised Crossover Trial.
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano
- Enrollment
- 39
- Primary Endpoint
- Modified Fatigue Impact Scale Italian version
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Fatigue and impaired balance frequently affect patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This is an open, prospective randomised crossover trial aimed at clarifying whether an improvement in balance control after balance training would also improve fatigue in patients with MS. Balance training will be compared to aerobic training, which is known to be effective on fatigue.
Detailed Description
Fatigue is known to affect patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), with a prevalence ranging from 55% to 83%, thus contributing to the level of disability, compromising the Quality of Life, and increasing the overall treatment costs. For these reasons, fatigue is considered a main target for pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies for MS.
The physiopathology of fatigue in MS is still not completely understood, and previous research has shown correlations with reduced motor performance, disease progression and depression. Some possible mechanisms of fatigue in MS have been hypothesised but not yet proven, such as structural alterations in the central nervous system, altered immune function in the brain, impaired pituitary gland function, and changes in cardiac or muscle activity.
Patients with MS also frequently show balance impairments, with prevalence peaking at 87.9%, and previous studies have suggested a causal relationship between fatigue and balance deficits.
Therapeutic exercise has shown a key role in contrasting the functional decline and disability secondary to MS. Several studies have evaluated the effects of different types of training, such as balance training and aerobic training, on balance impairment and the overall patient's functional performance.
In the literature, it is not uncommon to observe improvements in fatigue after the administration of exercise therapy targeted at the balance impairment. However, the literature has not yet clarified whether an improvement in balance control after balance training would also result in an improvement in the scales used to measure fatigue.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Crossover
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •MS diagnosis according to the revised McDonalds criteria. Relapsing-remitting, primary and secondary progressive MS forms are allowed;
- •Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) between 2 and 6, included;
- •Fatigue as indicated by a total score of mFIS ≥ 20/84;
- •Balance impairment as indicated by a performance at the Equitest Sensory Organisation Test below age-matched normal values (95th percentile of control values).
Exclusion Criteria
- •Any of the following in the month before enrolment: an MS relapse; current corticosteroids therapy because of MS; change in medicines prescribed against fatigue; attending an intensive physical therapy program;
- •New or active lesions on a brain or spinal cord MRI scan in the 12 months before the study enrolment;
- •Angioplasty for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in the six months before enrolment;
- •Any musculoskeletal disease or any additional neurological disorder which causes by itself a balance or gait impairment;
- •Any other condition causing fatigue by itself;
- •Any unstable cardiological disease.
Arms & Interventions
Aerobic training (FIRST), then balance training (SECOND)
Crossover trial: aerobic training (first treatment), then balance training (second treatment).
Intervention: Aerobic training (Other)
Aerobic training (FIRST), then balance training (SECOND)
Crossover trial: aerobic training (first treatment), then balance training (second treatment).
Intervention: Balance training (Other)
Balance training (FIRST), then aerobic training (SECOND)
Crossover trial: balance training (first treatment), then aerobic training (second treatment).
Intervention: Aerobic training (Other)
Balance training (FIRST), then aerobic training (SECOND)
Crossover trial: balance training (first treatment), then aerobic training (second treatment).
Intervention: Balance training (Other)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Modified Fatigue Impact Scale Italian version
Time Frame: The Modified Fatigue Impact Scale was assessed: before intervention, at end of first intervention, 30 days after end of first intervention, before second intervention, at end of second intervention, 30 days after end of second intervention
Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (mFIS) Italian version: The Modified Fatigue Impact Scale is a self-administered questionnaire comprising 21 items assessing how often fatigue interferes with everyday life. Modified Fatigue Impact Scale score ranges from 0 to 84, with higher scores indicating more fatigue.
Secondary Outcomes
- Equiscale(The Equiscale was assessed: before intervention, at end of first intervention, 30 days after end of first intervention, before second intervention, at end of second intervention, 30 days after end of second intervention)
- Equitest® Sensory Organization Test(The Sensory Organization Test was computed: before intervention, at end of first intervention, 30 days after end of first intervention, before second intervention, at end of second intervention, 30 days after end of second intervention)
- Gait speed(The gait speed was assessed: before intervention, at end of first intervention, 30 days after end of first intervention, before second intervention, at end of second intervention, 30 days after end of second intervention)