Multiple Sclerosis
Conditions
Brief summary
Evaluate the effect of High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic Therapy on dynamic balance, fall risk, core muscle function, and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Detailed description
Patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis will be recruited from outpatient neurology and physical therapy clinics. Following clinical screening, eligible participants will be randomly assigned into two parallel groups: The Study Group: Will receive High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic Therapy sessions targeted at the core/trunk muscles plus a structured balance exercise program for 8 weeks. The Control Group: Will receive the structured balance exercise program only for 8 weeks.
Interventions
For 8 weeks, two weekly sessions of High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic Therapy will be used to induce supramaximal contractions to strengthen the central core stabilizers (rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, and erector spinae)
OTHERBalance Exercises
Standardized balance training including static stance variations, dynamic weight-shifting, perturbation training, and functional gait adjustments will be conducted for 30-45 minutes per session through three weekly sessions for a total duration of 8 weeks.
Sponsors
Middle East University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Confirmed clinical diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis according to the revised McDonald criteria. * Expanded Disability Status Scale score range between 3.0 and 5.5. * Clinically stable condition with no neurological relapses or corticosteroid therapy within the past 3 months.
Exclusion criteria
* Presence of pacemakers, internal defibrillators, or metallic implants in the torso/abdominal region. * Severe cognitive impairment interfering with the understanding of instructions or questionnaires. * Other concomitant neurological or musculoskeletal orthopedic conditions that independently affect balance or gait. * Severe visual deficits or uncorrected vestibular disorders. * Pregnancy.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Balance | Baseline and after 8 weeks | Berg Balance Scale will be used to assess balance. A 14-item objective clinical rating scale evaluating functional balance performance (e.g., reaching, turning, standing on one leg). Scores range from 0 to 56, where higher scores indicate better balance control. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Health-Related Quality of Life | Baseline and after 8 weeks | Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 Questionnaire will be used to assess quality of life. It is a multidimensional, disease-specific questionnaire combining generic and disease-specific items. It generates 12 subscales along with distinct physical and mental health composite summary scores. Higher scores indicate a better quality of life. |
| Risk of Fall | Baseline and after 8 weeks | The Fall Risk Questionnaire will be used to assess the risk of fall. The Fall Risk Questionnaire consists of 12 yes/no questions. For scoring, a "no" answer is scored as zero for all questions, while a "yes" answer is scored as two for the first two questions and as one for the remaining 10 questions. A total Fall Risk Questionnaire score of 4 or higher indicates increased fall risk. |
| Core Muscle Function | Baseline and after 8 weeks | The Trunk Impairment Scale will be used to assess core muscle function. It scores static sitting balance, dynamic sitting balance, and trunk coordination. Total scores range from 0 to 23, with higher scores indicating superior core control. |
Contacts
CONTACTSaher Lotfy Elgayar, Ph.D
CONTACTMohammed Youssef Elhamrawy, Ph.D
Outcome results
None listed