Exercise and Pregnancy in People With Multiple Sclerosis

October 4, 2023 updated by: University of Alberta

Physiological Responses to Exercise During Pregnancy in People With Multiple Sclerosis

The purpose of this study is to examine acute physiological responses to exercise and activity patterns of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) during pregnancy and postpartum.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory autoimmune condition of the central nervous system, which causes demyelination of axons, and largely affects females aged 20-40 years. However, knowledge gaps surrounding MS in pregnancy and postpartum remain. Particularly, no research has examined the effects of exercise or physical activity patterns, in people with MS throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Current guidelines for exercise in pregnancy note that people with impairments may safely meet activity recommendations; however, medical consultation is recommended. This study aims to provide information regarding the physiological responses to exercise, as well as the physical activity patterns of pregnant and postpartum people with MS.

Numerous studies have found pregnant individuals with MS experience reduced rates of relapse (periods of symptom exacerbation) during pregnancy, most significantly in the third trimester. Additionally, increased rates of relapse in the three months following delivery among people with MS has been commonly observed. These unique periods combined with maternal adaptations during and following pregnancy may impact responses to exercise during and following pregnant in people with MS. To our knowledge, no research has investigated the physiological responses to exercise nor physical activity patterns in individuals with MS during or following pregnancy. These data will be used to develop prospective interventions aimed at determining the causal links between adaptations to pregnancy and postpartum and exercise tolerance in people with MS. They will also be a critical first step towards the eventual development of evidence-based guidelines for pregnant and postpartum people with MS.

Pregnant and postpartum individuals will be sent the equipment and questionnaires needed to participate in this virtual study. Participants will complete a 20-minute moderate-intensity exercise bout (60-70% heart rate reserve) using their own cardiovascular exercise equipment or walking outside. During exercise, participants will wear a heart rate monitor to measure heart rate prior to, during and following exercise, as well as complete a fatigue assessment prior-to, immediately, and 30- and 60-minutes following exercise. Additionally, participants will wear a continuous glucose monitor (Freestyle Libre Pro) throughout the exercise and for seven days following exercise. Participants will also wear two non-invasive activity monitoring devices that measure their activity and sedentary time for seven full days. Lastly, participants with MS will track their MS symptoms for seven full days. These data will have implications in understanding the acute cardiovascular response to moderate-intensity exercise among pregnant and postpartum people with MS. This is an important first step in understanding the benefits of pre- and postnatal physical activity among people with MS.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
29

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Alberta
      • Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G
        • University of Alberta

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Pregnant (> 13 weeks) and postpartum (< 1 year since delivery) individuals with Multiple Sclerosis.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis
  • Pregnant with a single baby (> 13 weeks) or Postpartum (< 1 year since delivery)
  • Free of cardiovascular disease

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant individuals who have absolute contraindications to exercise as outlined by the Canadian Guidelines for Exercise in Pregnancy PARMed-X questionnaire OR relative contraindications that prevent them from exercise as confirmed by their medical professional.
  • High-order pregnancies, e.g. twins or above.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Cohort
  • Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Pregnant with Multiple Sclerosis
Pregnant individuals (> 13 weeks) with a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.
Other: Moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise
The participant will be instructed to first rest quietly for 10 minutes wearing a heart rate monitor. The participant will then be instructed to exercise at an intensity of 60-70% heart rate reserve (HRR) for 20 minutes. The participant may choose any kind of cardiovascular exercise modality they prefer, as long as the exercise will meet the prescribed intensity. Following exercise, participants will rest quietly for 10 minutes wearing the heart rate monitor.
Pregnant without Multiple Sclerosis
Pregnant individuals (> 13 weeks) without Multiple Sclerosis.
Other: Moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise
The participant will be instructed to first rest quietly for 10 minutes wearing a heart rate monitor. The participant will then be instructed to exercise at an intensity of 60-70% heart rate reserve (HRR) for 20 minutes. The participant may choose any kind of cardiovascular exercise modality they prefer, as long as the exercise will meet the prescribed intensity. Following exercise, participants will rest quietly for 10 minutes wearing the heart rate monitor.
Postpartum with Multiple Sclerosis
Postpartum individuals (< 1 year since delivery) with a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.
Other: Moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise
The participant will be instructed to first rest quietly for 10 minutes wearing a heart rate monitor. The participant will then be instructed to exercise at an intensity of 60-70% heart rate reserve (HRR) for 20 minutes. The participant may choose any kind of cardiovascular exercise modality they prefer, as long as the exercise will meet the prescribed intensity. Following exercise, participants will rest quietly for 10 minutes wearing the heart rate monitor.
Postpartum without Multiple Sclerosis
Postpartum individuals (< 1 year since delivery) without Multiple Sclerosis.
Other: Moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise
The participant will be instructed to first rest quietly for 10 minutes wearing a heart rate monitor. The participant will then be instructed to exercise at an intensity of 60-70% heart rate reserve (HRR) for 20 minutes. The participant may choose any kind of cardiovascular exercise modality they prefer, as long as the exercise will meet the prescribed intensity. Following exercise, participants will rest quietly for 10 minutes wearing the heart rate monitor.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Heart rate
Time Frame: 40 minutes
Resting heart rate will be measured immediately prior-to exercise. Change in heart rate will be measured during and following exercise.
40 minutes
Fatigue
Time Frame: 10 minutes
Fatigue will be assessed immediately before, immediately following, 30- and 60-minutes following exercise using the Visual Analog Scale to Assess Fatigue Severity.
10 minutes
Physical activity and sedentary behaviour
Time Frame: 7 days
Participants will wear an accelerometer and activPAL (Actigraph wGT3X-BT Monitor, Actigraph LLC; activPAL, PAL Technologies Ltd.) for seven consecutive days and nights to record 24-hour physical activity and sleep/wake measurements.
7 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Glucose
Time Frame: 40 minutes
Glucose response to exercise.
40 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Alberta

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Margie Davenport, PhD, University of Alberta

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 1, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 28, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 28, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 6, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 6, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 4, 2023

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Pro00095678

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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