Outcomes of Group Dance and Movement Training in Ambulatory MS Patients

GroundWorks DanceTheater and Cleveland Clinic are partnering to create and offer an initial study of a dance movement-based community program for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The program will address major needs in the MS community including social-emotional well-being, body awareness, and motor function. GroundWorks artists will use a variety of widely accepted movement-based practices with the goal of improving upper and lower body function and overall well-being. By partnering, GroundWorks and Cleveland Clinic hope to encourage more study of the benefits of dance movement-based programming in individuals affected by MS.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Multiple Sclerosis
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Group Dance and Movement Training

Detailed Description

GroundWorks DanceTheater and Cleveland Clinic are partnering to design and implement a pilot study of a dance movement-based community program for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The program is aimed at addressing major needs in the MS community including social-emotional well-being, body awareness, and motor function. GroundWorks artists will use a variety of movement-based practices including personalized tasks and imagery, mirroring, and inscription, with the goal of improving upper and lower extremity function, and well-being. Cleveland Clinic will assist GroundWorks in the selection, monitoring, and testing of the participants. Cleveland Clinic will also take the lead with data management and analysis. By partnering, GroundWorks and Cleveland Clinic hope to create a promising program that will lead to further exploring the impact of dance movement-based programming in individuals affected by MS.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 6
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Ohio
    • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44115
      • Cleveland State University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 18 to 65 inclusive
• diagnosis of MS (relapsing or progressive form) based on the revised MacDonald Criteria established by a neurologist
• self-reported upper and lower extremity dysfunction
• ability to walk safely without an assistive device (e.g. cane, walker) indoors and outdoors

Exclusion Criteria:

• comorbidity (e.g. cardiac, respiratory, musculoskeletal) representing a contra-indication to the dance movement program
• exacerbation of MS within the past 60 days
• severe cognitive impairment
• clinically significant concern regarding the participant's ability to safely perform study procedures

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group Dance and Movement Training; Group dance and movement sessions	Other: Group Dance and Movement Training; Dance movement-based sessions including personalized tasks and imagery, mirroring, and inscription, plus warm-up and cool down practices to ensure physical safety

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Timed Up and Go (TUG)	This is a test of functional mobility, commonly used for people with MS. The test measures the time it takes for a person to stand up from a chair, walk 10 feet, turn around, walk back to the chair and sit down.	4 months
9 Hole Peg Test (NHPT)	This is a widely used test of upper extremity function in people with MS. The test measures the time it takes for a person to pick up 9 pegs individually and place each one in one of 9 holes on a board and then take each one out, one at a time, and place the pegs back in the container.	4 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Neuro-QOL Positive Affect and Well-Being - Short Form	This is a self-reported quality of life measure which has been validated in people with MS to assess positive affect and well-being.	4 months
Neuro-QOL Lower Extremity Function (Mobility) - Short Form	This is a self-reported quality of life measure which has been validated in people with MS to assess mobility.	4 months
Neuro-QOL Upper Extremity Function (Fine Motor, ADL) - Short Form	This is a self-reported quality of life measure which has been validated in people with MS to assess fine motor and ADLs.	4 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: GroundWorks DanceTheater
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Francois Bethoux, PhD, The Cleveland Clinic

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 24, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 14, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): November 27, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 9, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 9, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): July 13, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 28, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 27, 2023
• Last Verified: November 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: movement; dance
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS; Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System; Demyelinating Diseases; Autoimmune Diseases; Multiple Sclerosis
• Other Study ID Numbers: 23-100; 1863441-38-20 (Other Grant/Funding Number: National Endowment for the Arts)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No