Comprehensive Rehabilitation Programme in People With Multiple Sclerosis: The RECONNECT-MS Study

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a comprehensive rehabilitation programme can improve physical function, reduce fatigue, and raise quality of life in adults aged 18-65 with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study will also look at whether the programme leads to changes in brain function using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does the programme lower the overall impact of MS on daily life?
* Does the programme improve walking, balance, and hand function?
* Does the programme reduce the impact of fatigue?
* Are there changes in brain connections after the programme?

Each participant serves as their own comparison. They are tested 3 times: 2 months before the programme starts (T0), right before it starts (T1), and after 2 months of intensive treatment (T2). The period between T0 and T1, when no treatment is given, shows each person's natural changes over time.

Participants will:

* Attend individual physiotherapy twice a week for 2 months, then 3 follow-up sessions over the next month
* Take part in 3 group movement-awareness sessions
* Take part in 3 group psychotherapy sessions focused on stress management and relaxation
* Receive written nutritional guidance for autoimmune conditions

Tests include physical assessments, questionnaires about fatigue and quality of life, tremor measurement, and brain MRI scans.

The results may help improve rehabilitation care for people with MS and support their ability to stay active in everyday and working life.

Conditions

• Multiple Sclerosis

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Individual Physiotherapy

Facilitation-based individual physiotherapy (Motor Programme Activating Therapy, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilisation, soft-tissue and mobilisation techniques). 50 minute sessions, twice weekly for 8 weeks, then 3 maintenance sessions at progressively extended intervals during weeks 9-12. Delivered by two alternating physiotherapists.

BEHAVIORAL

Group Movement Awareness

Three small-group sessions (6-8 participants) of Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement (ATM).

BEHAVIORAL

Group Psychotherapy

Three 60-minute small-group sessions focused on stress management, emotion regulation, relaxation techniques, and psychoeducation.

OTHER

Nutritional Recommendations

Written / online evidence-based nutritional recommendations for autoimmune disease.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Faculty Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Czech Ministry of Education

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Charles University, Czech Republic

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kamila Rasova, prof. Ph.D. · Faculty Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady and Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic

• Marie Prochazkova, Ph.D. · Faculty hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Czech Republic

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-07-01

Primary Completion

2028-02-28

Completion

2028-06-30

Countries

• Czechia

Study Locations