Effects of Functional Electrical Stimulation Cycling Versus Cycling Only on Walking and Quality of Life in MS (MSCycling)

Effects of Functional Electrical Stimulation Cycling Versus Cycling Only on Walking Performance and Quality of Life in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study

This study will seek to determine the benefits that FES-LE cycling has over cycling alone on walking performance and quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Multiple Sclerosis
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: RT 300: Lower Extremity Cycling

Detailed Description

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is a rehabilitation tool that stimulates nerves via electrical current, causing muscles to contract. When FES is appled to leg muscles during stationary cycling the legs move in a fixed rhythmical pattern. Previous studies have demonstrated that FES during cycling is a safe and effective exercise for individuals recovering from spinal cord injury or stroke, but few have applied this tool to a progressive disorder, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study is to assess the immediate and short-term effect of an 8-week training program comparing FES lower extremity cycling to cycling without FES. Twenty volunteers with MS will participate. They will be randomly assigned to a training group. This study examine the effects of training on quality of life, endurance, walking speed, and step quality. Participants will sign an informed consent and complete a questionnaire that includes medical history and demographic data. Before training, immediately after training finishes and one month after training, self-report questionnaires, timed walking tests will be completed. During the walking tests, step quality and speed will be measured with a sensor that is worn on a belt

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 15
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Stony Brook, New York, United States, 11794
      • Stony Brook Univeristy

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Medical Diagnosis of MS
• Patient-determined Disease Steps score between 3.0 and 6.0 inclusive
• Ability to attend training sessions 3 times per week for an 8-10 week period
• Passing a submaximal exercise test
• Adequate hip range of motion (at least 110 degrees)
• Adequate knee range of motion (10-90 degrees)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Cognitive deficits that would interfere in ability to sign consent and understand the procedures for the study.
• History or presence of other neurological pathologies that interfere with movement
• Received physical therapy within the last 4 weeks prior to the study
• History of an acute exacerbation of their MS symptoms within 4 weeks prior to the study
• Immunosuppressive or steroid therapy within the past 4 weeks
• Significant spasticity in the legs that interferes with the cycling motion
• History of congestive heart failure
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Uncontrolled Hypertension
• History of epilepsy or seizures
• Cardiac demand pacemaker or implanted defibrillator
• Unhealed fractures in the legs
• Pressure sores or open wounds on the legs
• Pregnant or trying to conceive

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: FES Cycling; The intervention consists of electrical stimulation to five lower extremity muscle groups (quadricep, hamstring, anterior tibialis, gluteal, and gastrocnemius muscle groups) while cycling for 45 minutes, 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Outcome measures will be collected at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 4 weeks after training is completed).	Device: RT 300: Lower Extremity Cycling; Individuals will be randomly assigned to either the FES cycling or cycling only group and will perform lower extremity cycling. Individuals will participate in an interval training cycling program 3 times per week for 8 weeks.; Other Names: RT 300; Lower Extremity Ergometer
Active Comparator: Cycling Only; The intervention consists of lower extremity cycling for 45 minutes, 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Electrical stimulation will not be applied to any muscles. Outcome measures will be collected at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 4 weeks after training is completed.	Device: RT 300: Lower Extremity Cycling; Individuals will be randomly assigned to either the FES cycling or cycling only group and will perform lower extremity cycling. Individuals will participate in an interval training cycling program 3 times per week for 8 weeks.; Other Names: RT 300; Lower Extremity Ergometer

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Gait Velocity: Timed Walking	Gait velocity was reported in meters/second based on a 25 foot walk test called the Timed 25 foot Walk Test. Faster gait speeds are better outcomes.	Baseline
Gait Velocity: Timed Walking	Gait velocity was reported in meters/second based on a 25 foot walk test called the Timed 25 foot Walk Test. Faster gait speeds are better outcomes.	4 weeks
Gait Velocity: Timed Walking	Gait velocity was reported in meters/second based on a 25 foot walk test called the Timed 25 foot Walk Test. Faster gait speeds are better outcomes.	8 weeks
Gait Velocity: Timed Walking	Gait velocity was reported in meters/second based on a 25 foot walk test called the Timed 25 foot Walk Test. Faster gait speeds are better outcomes.	12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self-reported Fatigue Using Modified Fatigue Impact Scale	The Modified Fatigue Impact Scale is a 21 item self-report questionnaire that takes 5-10 minutes to complete. It uses a 5-point likert scale to rate the patient's perception of how Multiple Sclerosis related fatigue affects an individual's life on an everyday basis. It contains three subscales that include: cognitive, physical, and psychosocial dimensions. Scores on the subscales can be analyzed individually or as a summed score to give an overall fatigue score. Higher scores indicate a greater impact of fatigue. The minimum score is a 0 and the maximum score is 81.	Baseline
Self-reported Fatigue Using Modified Fatigue Impact Scale	The Modified Fatigue Impact Scale is a 21 item self-report questionnaire that takes 5-10 minutes to complete. It uses a 5-point likert scale to rate the patient's perception of how Multiple Sclerosis related fatigue affects an individual's life on an everyday basis. It contains three subscales that include: cognitive, physical, and psychosocial dimensions. Scores on the subscales can be analyzed individually or as a summed score to give an overall fatigue score. Higher scores indicate a greater impact of fatigue. The minimum score is a 0 and the maximum score is 81.	8 weeks
Self-reported Walking Using 12 Item Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale	The Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale is a 12-item self-report questionnaire that takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and reflects a persons' perception of the impact that multiple sclerosis has on walking ability during the past 2 weeks. Each of the items scored ranges from 1 to 5, in which higher scores indicate a greater impact of multiple sclerosis on their walking. Scores on the 12 items are summed. To transform to a 0-100 scale, the minimum score of 12 is subtracted from the sum; the result is divided by 48 and then multiplied by 100. The lowest score is 0 and the highest score is 100. Higher scores mean a worse outcome.	Baseline
Self-reported Walking Using 12 Item Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale	The Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale is a 12-item self-report questionnaire that takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and reflects a persons' perception of the impact that multiple sclerosis has on walking ability during the past 2 weeks. Each of the items scored ranges from 1 to 5, in which higher scores indicate a greater impact of multiple sclerosis on their walking. Scores on the 12 items are summed. To transform to a 0-100 scale, the minimum score of 12 is subtracted from the sum; the result is divided by 48 and then multiplied by 100. The lowest score is 0 and the highest score is 100. Higher scores mean a worse outcome.	8 weeks
Overall Self-reported Quality of Life Using Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life- 54	The Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 is a self-report quality of life questionnaire. It measures health-related quality of life using both generic and disease-specific measures and was constructed by experts in the field. There is no overall score for this scale since it contains 12 subscales, two summary scores, and two single-item measures. The quality of life subscale was the chosen outcome measure reported below. The scores range from 0-100. Higher scores on the scale notes improved outcome.	Baseline
Overall Self-reported Quality of Life Using Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life- 54	The Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 is a self-report quality of life questionnaire. It measures health-related quality of life using both generic and disease-specific measures and was constructed by experts in the field. There is no overall score for this scale since it contains 12 subscales, two summary scores, and two single-item measures. The quality of life subscale was the chosen outcome measure reported below. The scores range from 0-100. Higher scores on the scale notes improved outcome.	8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Stony Brook University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Lori I Hochman, PT, PhD, Stony Brook University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): July 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 19, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 14, 2015
• First Posted (Estimate): November 17, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 30, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 27, 2019
• Last Verified: September 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Cycling; Functional Electrical Stimulation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Nervous System Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS; Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System; Demyelinating Diseases; Autoimmune Diseases; Multiple Sclerosis; Sclerosis
• Other Study ID Numbers: 534378-1