Active clinical trials for "Multiple Sclerosis"

The current standard of outpatient MS care depends on in-clinic visits, but MS patients face many barriers to accessing this care. These barriers include those resulting from the disease itself, such as physical limitations, driving restrictions and financial limitations, and they are further compounded by an overall shortage of neurologists. Furthermore, MS care has a significant economic impact, with the estimated indirect and direct costs for treating MS in the US estimated to be > $85.4 billion. Therefore, there is a need to improve access to and reduce cost of MS care, and telehealth is a potential solution. The VIRTUAL-MS study has been designed to evaluate the impact of telehealth care on MS clinical outcomes, costs, and satisfaction compared to in-person care. Additionally, the study aims to evaluate facilitators and barriers to telehealth use to inform widespread implementation.

The transition from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis to secondarily progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) is difficult to identify. Typically, SPMS is diagnosed retrospectively, with a significant delay, on the basis of a clinical history of progressive worsening, independent of relapses. Thus, SPMS is often associated with a considerable period of diagnostic uncertainty. The use of ultra-high field imaging can shed light on the mechanisms of disability progression thanks to its better spatial resolution and advanced imaging techniques. The new morphological imaging techniques make it possible to visualize chronic inflammatory lesions and to evaluate their evolution. It also allows for the precise measurement of brain atrophy, a reference in the evaluation of neurodegeneration. Metabolic imaging via proton spectroscopy allows the analysis of several promising cerebral metabolites that can provide information on cellular energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, or oxidative stress, and can help identify tissues at risk of neurodegeneration. Sodium imaging can provide information on axonal energy metabolism before the occurrence of stable and irreversible axonal damage. This technique is promising as an early marker of neurodegeneration.

The goal of this clinical trial study is to evaluate the presence of relationships between PET and MRI images indicative of chronic inflammatory activity (smoldering plaques), apparent absence of inflammatory activity (silent plaques without microglial rim), or indicative of more recent inflammatory activity, in contrast-enhanced areas or in T2/Flair-positive areas of not distant onset in patients diagnosed with progressive (secondary or primary) stage multiple sclerosis and in patients in relapse and remission. Laboratory analysis of serum markers will be performed: neuronal and glial cytoskeletal proteins (e.g., Nf-L, pN-FH, GFAP), and the levels of neurotrophic factors (e.g., BDNF, GDNF) and cytokines (e.g., TNFα, IL-6, IL-1β, interferon) will be evaluated.

It is unclear why humans typically swing their arms during gait. To date, the debate on how to arm swing comes about (i.e. whether it is caused by accelerations of the shoulder girdle or muscular activity) is still going on. There needs to be consensus on whether the arm swing is actively controlled or merely passive and on why humans swing their arms during walking (i.e. what the purpose of arm swing is, if any). Suggested reasons include minimising energy consumption, optimising stability, and optimising neural control. Pathologies such as hemiplegia after stroke, Parkinson's disease, Cerebral Palsy, Spinal Cord Injury, and Multiple Sclerosis may directly affect arm swing during gait. Emerging evidence indicates that including arm movements in gait rehabilitation may be beneficial in restoring interlimb coordination and decreasing energy expenditure. This project hypothesises that the arms swing, at least at low and intermediate walking speeds, reflects the body's Center of Mass (CoM) accelerations. Arm swing may thus depend mainly upon the system's intrinsic mechanical properties (e.g., gravity and inertia). In this perspective, the CoM is seen as moving relative to the upper limbs rather than the other way around. The contribution of major lower limb joints, in terms of power injected into the body motion, will be simultaneously explored. The study aims to investigate the mechanism and functions of arm swinging during walking on a force treadmill. To simulate asymmetric walking, healthy subjects will be asked to walk with a toes-up orthosis to induce claudication and asymmetry in ankle power. In this way, it will be possible to highlight the correlation among arm swinging, ankle power, and the acceleration of the CoM in a 3D framework. In addition, subjects affected by unilateral motor impairments will be asked to walk on the force treadmill to test the experimental model and highlight significant differences in the kinematic parameters of the upper limbs. The question of whether arm swing is actively controlled or merely passive and the relationship between arm swinging and the total mechanical energy of the CoM will be faced. Asymmetric oscillations of the upper limb will be related to dynamic asymmetries of the COM motion, and of the motion of lower limbs. In addition, cause-effect relationships will be hypothesized. Finally, the dynamic correlates of upper limb oscillations will make the clinical observation an interpretable clinical sign applicable to rehabilitation medicine. Results from the present study will also foster the identification of practical rehabilitation exercises on gait asymmetries in many human nervous diseases.

Over the past 10 years, the rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) have nearly doubled in the United States. This chronic, neuroinflammatory, and neurodegenerative disease is most often diagnosed between the ages of 20-40. Cognitive impairment effects up to 70% of people with MS (PwMS) and has a detrimental impact on mental health, social connections, and employment. Further, up to 50% of PwMS also struggle with depression. Numerous cognitive rehabilitation programs are available to address cognitive impairment, but few interventions have simultaneous effects on cognition and emotional well-being. Music interventions have potential to fill this gap. Brain imaging studies on music and emotion show that music can modulate activity in the brains structures that are known to be crucially involved in emotion. Further, music engages areas of the brain that are involved with paying attention, making predictions, and updating events in our memory. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of an online musical training intervention (MTI) for PwMS and explore the potential effect on cognition, psychosocial, and functional well-being compared to an active control group (music listening (ML)). The specific aims are to: 1) determine the feasibility and acceptability of delivering the MTI virtually over three months to PwMS; 2) evaluate the effect of the MTI on cognitive functioning (processing speed, working memory, cognitive flexibility, response inhibition), psychosocial (anxiety, depression, stress, quality of life, self-efficacy) and functional (insomnia) well-being compared to ML; and 3) (exploratory aim) to utilize non-invasive neuroimaging to determine if pre-intervention brain activity predicts post-intervention cognitive functioning.

In this study, we are aiming to systematically review the literature on the effect of HIIT on MS patients as improving physical performance, cognitive function, aerobic fitness and muscle strength. This could help guide the development of standardized clinical guidelines and direct clinical decision making by the physical therapists whether to implement this type of exercises or not.

The goal of this clinical trial is to demonstrate the improvement of muscular oxygenation in patients with Multiple Sclerosis and spasticity using Exopulse Molli suit stimulation. The main questions it aims to answer are: to evaluate the short-term impact of EXOPULSE Molli suit on muscular oxygenation in adult MS patients suffering from spasticity. to assess the effects of Exopulse Mollii suit on spasticity, pain, fatigue, quality of life (QoL), walking and risk of fall. Study subjects will participate in: One baseline visit for inclusion in the study during which the patient will undergo the first session (active or sham) along with an evaluation before and after the session One visit after two weeks during which the patient will undergo the second session (active or sham) along with an evaluation before and after the session One visit two weeks after the second stimulation; where the patients will undergo a fifth evaluation and receive the EXOPULSE Molli Suit for the four-week open label phase to use the suit at home for an active stimulation session every other day for four weeks. One visit at the end of the open label phase to perform the sixth and last evaluation and return the EXOPULSE Molli suit. Researchers will compare both Active and Sham groups to demonstrate the improvement of muscular oxygenation in patients with MS and spasticity using Exopulse Molli.

Lifestyle factors are known to affect the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). Studies of participants with MS attending an evidence-based lifestyle modification program, delivered via face-to-face workshops, have demonstrated improved mental and physical health, reduced relapse rate and improved quality of life over 3 years follow up, and that behaviour change was feasible and sustainable. However, the face-to-face modality of this educational intervention is resource intensive, and accessibility may be impeded by geography, cost, and MS-specific factors such as illness, fatigue, and disability. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the unpredictable ability to travel and the importance of flexibility of health-related education. The Neuroepidemiology Unit at the University of Melbourne has developed the Multiple Sclerosis Online Course (MSOC) to deliver a widely accessible and user-friendly educational tool for people with MS. The course aims to deliver the best available evidence regarding lifestyle-related risk factors in the development and progression of MS and behaviour modification to improve health outcomes. Two forms of the course were developed: an intervention course delivering evidence-based information regarding modifiable lifestyle related risk factors implicated in disease progression; and a standard-care course, similar in format and presentation, but containing general information sourced from standard MS websites. Both courses have seven modules delivered over six weeks. A feasibility study involving the delivery of the intervention and standard-care course was conducted from April to June 2021. The study assessed the primary outcomes of attrition in both intervention and standard-care arm. Secondary outcomes assessed assessed learnability, accessibility, and desirability via a Likert scale follow-up survey. A qualitative analysis examining motivation, expectations and outcomes was also conducted. Tertiary outcomes assessed the completion of the baseline surveys, a requirement to enter the course. Based on the feasibility study, the investigators have modified recruitment strategies, functionality, and the community forum aspects of the course. Investigators now aim to test the effectiveness of the intervention arm of the course versus the standard-care arm in a larger randomised controlled trial. Objective: To prospectively examine whether an MS Online intervention course (intervention arm) can deliver an evidence-based educational intervention that results in behaviour change which can be sustained and translated into improved health outcomes for people with MS, and whether these effects are superior to the MS Online standard-care course (control arm). Participants who are 18 or older, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis by a doctor are welcome to join our study. The online course will run for 6 weeks. During this time, there are no formal assessments or minimum time investment required, which means participants are free to navigate the course as they see fit. Prior to commencing the study, participants will be asked fill-out a survey about their health (e.g., fatigue) and lifestyle (e.g., diet) and will be asked to fill this out again during the study.

In this study patients with Multiple Sclerosis or Spinal Lesions will participate in two different types of treatments that aim to improve sexual and sentimental life. Behavioral (via questionnaires) and brain (via high-density electroencephalogram) effects associated with treatment will be studied.

Adherence is an active process wherein the patient acts in collaboration with the medical and paramedical staff in order to improve his/her health. Adherence to medication comprises of implementation and persistence and it is estimated to be around 50% in various chronic illnesses, including Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS patients who fail to properly adhere to their DMTs regimen may be at increased risk for the development of new central nervous system lesions, exacerbations, increased disabilities and poorer quality of life. Plausible reasons for the low adherence rates in MS mentioned in the literature include patients' attributes, condition attributes and therapy related factors. The objective of this study is to develop a personal profile of adherence based in the factors mentioned above. In the first part of the study patients will be followed up and the profile My Multiple Sclerosis Perception Adherence Scoring System (MyMS_PASS) will be created and tested. In the second part, patients with non-optimal rates of adherence will receive tailored intervention in order to improve therapy to treatment. This work may serve as a model for the study of adherence to therapy and the development of interventions in MS as well as in other chronic diseases.