Multiple Sclerosis
Conditions
Brief summary
This study looks to see the effects of a home based exercise program on falls in people with MS.
Detailed description
The purposes of this project are four-fold: 1) to determine if a 6-month home-based targeted exercise program results in immediate and sustained reduction in falls risk and incidence ; 2) to identify the factors that contribute to a reduction in fall risk and incidence; 3) to determine if a decrease in physiological fall risk and/or fall incidence results in increased quality of life and participation in older adults with MS; and 4) to determine the association between cognition, environment and comorbidities on future falls and intervention efficacy.
Interventions
OTHERExercise
Participants will partake in three, six month phases. In the second phase, either an education or exercise program will be implemented. Assessments will follow each phase with the addition of an initial assessment for baseline data.
OTHEREducation
Participants will partake in three, six month phases. In the second phase, either an education or exercise program will be implemented. Assessments will follow each phase with the addition of an initial assessment for baseline data.
Sponsors
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 64 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* The inclusion criteria involve having an established definite diagnosis of MS * Ability to walk 25 feet with or without aid * Relapse free in the last 30 days * Being ≥ 50 years of age * Having fallen at least once in the past year * Physician approval to engage in light physical activity * Willingness and ability to attend the training sessions and testing sessions.
Exclusion criteria
* We will exclude all individuals with risk factors contra-indicative for undertaking strenuous exercise. * During the initial phone contact with the project coordinator, participants will verbally respond to a health history questionnaire. * Those individuals who are asymptomatic and meet no more than one risk factor threshold including family history of coronary heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle will be considered at low risk and included for participation.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Chagne in Fall Risk | 1 year | The primary outcome measure of this investigation is physiological fall risk. Physiological fall risk will be determined by the short form of the physiological profile assessment (PPA). The PPA is a validated tool to assess physiological function related to fall risk by combining measures of vision, proprioception, lower-limb strength, postural sway, and cognitive function. It is predictive of future fall risk in persons with MS. The PPA provides a fall risk score that is based on the quantification of key physiological markers (e.g. vision, leg strength, proprioception, balance, cognition, etc) and comparison of those markers to age and gender matched normative data. The PPA provides a therapeutically relevant prognostic predictor of falls and this makes it an ideal outcome measure of investigations evaluating fall prevention strategies. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Identification of Fall Risk Factors | 1 year | The secondary outcome of fall incidence will be monitored prospectively for 6 months prior to and immediately following the 24 week intervention period via a fall diary A fall will be defined as an event where an individual unintentionally comes to the ground. Participants will receive a biweekly phone call and weekly text to inquire if they have suffered a fall and to remind them to complete the diary. If a fall is reported details of falls, information about injury, and other pertinent information will be attained. The fall diary will be contained in a brightly labeled binder and participants will be asked to mark if they have or have not fallen on a given day. At the end of each month participants will mail the dairy back in a preaddressed prepaid envelope to the research lab. The fall calls/diary will allow for the determination of number of falls, and fall rate per person year. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
Primary ContactJen Wajda, BS
Outcome results
None listed