Trial Outcomes & Findings for Feasibility of Remote Exercise Training for Hispanics/Latinos With MS (NCT NCT05998616)

A total of 340 individuals were contacted between March 2024 and February 2025 through university outreach, community events, and advertisements. Of these, 112 were eligible (33%). Thirty-three participants consented and enrolled; however, the study was terminated early due to NIH funding withdrawal prior to reaching the planned sample size (N=50).

Three participants withdrew prior to randomization. Thirty participants were randomized (1:1) to the exercise intervention or flexibility control condition.

Feasibility of Remote Exercise Training for Hispanics/Latinos With MS

Participant retention during the 16-week intervention period, reported as number of randomized participants who completed or did not complete the assigned program by study arm.

Lower extremity function assessed by the 30-second sit-to-stand test (30STS). Values shown are adjusted post-intervention means from ANCOVA models controlling for baseline value, age, sex, and education. Higher scores indicate better lower extremity function.

Visual processing speed was assessed using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Participants were shown a key pairing symbols with numbers and were asked to verbally identify the number corresponding to each symbol as quickly as possible. The outcome is the total number of correct responses completed in 90 seconds. Higher values indicate better visual processing speed. Values shown are adjusted post-intervention means from ANCOVA models controlling for baseline SDMT score, age, sex, and education. The raw score ranges from 0 to 110 points.

Verbal learning and memory assessed by the California Verbal Learning Test II (CVLT-II). A list of 16 words was read aloud by the examiner and participants were asked to immediately recall as many of the words as possible, in any order. Five trials were given, and the same list of words were read aloud by the examiner at the beginning of each trial. The number of correct responses from each trial 1 through 5 (T1 to T5) was summed for a total score out of 80 max (range 0-80). Values shown are adjusted post-intervention means from ANCOVA models controlling for baseline value, age, sex, and education. Higher scores indicate better verbal learning and memory.

Fatigue severity assessed by the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Values shown are adjusted post-intervention means from ANCOVA models controlling for baseline value, age, sex, and education. Scores range from 1 to 7, with higher scores indicating greater fatigue severity.

Depression and Anxiety symptoms were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Depression subscale (HADS-Depression and HADS-Anxiety). Values shown are adjusted post-intervention means from ANCOVA models controlling for baseline value, age, sex, and education. The HADS includes 14 items which can be subscored for depression (7 items) and anxiety (7 items) as separate measures. Statements in the scale are self-reported by participants as experienced "Most of the time", "A lot of the time", "From time to time, occasionally", or "Not at all". Scores for anxiety and depression subscales range from 0-21 and are categorized as 'normal' (0-7), 'mild' (8-10), 'moderate' (11-14), and 'severe' (15-21). Overall, scores range from 0 to 42 with higher scores indicating higher anxious and depressive symptoms.

Exercise behavior was assessed by Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ) total (TOT) and health contribution scores (HCS). GLTEQ TOT includes all 3 activity intensity categories (strenuous, moderate, and mild), and GLTEQ HCS with 2 (strenuous and moderate). Both scores are derived from the same frequency data (# of times per week for each activity type) and the same point values for each intensity level. Since mild activity contributes only 3 points per occurrence, removing it in the GLTEQ HCS calculation shifts the total upward but does not change the maximum possible value. The highest possible GLTEQ TOT score (999) is also the highest possible GLTEQ HCS score, and the lowest possible TOT (0) is the same as the lowest possible HCS score (0). For both, higher scores indicate greater exercise participation and represent a better outcome; lower scores indicate less exercise participation and represent a worse outcome.

Health-related Quality of Life assessed by the Short Form -12 (SF-12), a shortened version of the short-form 36-item health survey, which measures overall health status. There are 2 composite scores, physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS), reported as T-scores, that reflect overall perceived physical and mental health status, respectively. Both components are qualitatively measured and adjusted based on relative average (general average population is 50 with a standard deviation of 10). Both PCS and MCS T-scores are norm-based; the US population average is 50 with a standard deviation of 10. PCS and MCS T-scores above 50 are considered above average and scores below 50 are considered below average. Values shown are adjusted post-intervention means from ANCOVA models controlling for baseline value, age, sex, and education.