Study of Exercise on Impact of Cognitive Functioning in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Summary

Cognitive impairment affects roughly 50% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). There are currently no satisfactory medical treatments for cognitive impairments related to MS and alternative forms of treatment are needed. Exercise training can improve cognition in older adults and people with mild cognitive impairments, including those with early Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the investigators plan to conduct the first definitive study that will test the theory that moderately intense aerobic exercise can improve cognition in people with MS-related impairment - specifically in information processing speed - more so than non-aerobic stretching and toning (both forms of exercise will be performed 3 days per week for 6 months).

Primary study hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize greater improvement in speed of information processing from pre- to post-treatment in the aerobic exercise group compared to the stretching and toning group (attention control).

Secondary study hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize greater improvement in other cognitive domains and patient reported outcomes from pre- to post-testing in the aerobic exercise group compared to the stretching and toning group (attention control).

The investigators plan to recruit 125 adults with MS who can walk without assistance and without rest for at least 100 meters and have mild weaknesses in information processing speed. The investigators will randomly assign 50% of participants to an aerobic exercise program and 50% to a non-aerobic exercise program (stretching and toning). In order to determine whether the intervention is successful, the investigators will compare cognitive functioning in both exercise groups before the exercise-training program, at the end of the 6-month training program and three months after the end of the training program. If our study findings support our hypotheses, this would be a relatively no-barriers treatment option to further explore for other people with MS including people with greater and lesser baseline disability.

Conditions

• Multiple Sclerosis

Interventions

OTHER

Aerobic exercise

The aerobic exercise condition is a graduated program of supervised aerobic exercise up to one hour per day, three days per week, and lasting 6 months. The structured exercise portion of the sessions will initially last for 15-20 minutes at 40-50% heart rate reserve (HRR) and progressively increase up to 35-40 minutes in duration at 65-75% HRR during the last month of the program. The program will focus on large, dynamic movements of the lower extremities (e.g. leg cycling ergometry). There may be some individual variation in adaptations that dictate the exact characteristics of the program.

OTHER

Stretching and toning exercise

The stretching and toning condition is a supervised stretching program with Therabands up to one hour per day, three days per week, and lasting 6 months. The stretching exercises will be based on a manual published by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) that has been standardized, manualized for reproducibility, and the investigators will progressively include more exercises and sets with Therabands for resistance over the course of the 6-month period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Multiple Sclerosis Society

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Washington

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Charles H Bombardier, PhD · University of Washington

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

59 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-03-31

Primary Completion

2020-05-31

Completion

2020-05-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations