Rehabilitation regimens that can help people with MS achieve maximal physical, psychological, social and vocational potential have gained increasing acceptance in recent years. But to convince doctors and insurers that rehabilitation really does help, there needs to be scientific evidence that can only come from carefully designed and conducted studies. Here are some examples of the National MS Society's current research projects focusing on rehabilitation in MS:
- Robert Motl, PhD (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) is conducting a study aimed at understanding factors that may lead to reduced physical activity in persons with MS. His team is examining whether the frequency and severity of MS-related symptoms influence physical activity, tracking changes in activity over three years in 250 individuals with relapsing-remitting MS. This study could substantially improve our knowledge of the factors leading to reduced physical activity in people with MS, and help design programs to increase it.
- Barbara Giesser, MD, and her colleagues (University of California, Los Angeles) are comparing the effects on cognitive performance of an aerobic exercise program lasting six months to the effects of non-aerobic stretching exercises in people with MS. In addition to standard tests measuring cognitive function, Dr. Giesser’s group is measuring levels in the blood of a number of substances – including immune messengers and cell growth factors – that may influence the health of nerves in the brain to determine how exercise may be improving cognition.
- Richard Van Emmerik, PhD (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) is identifying factors involved in balance problems in posture and walking experienced by people with MS to find better ways to intervene. His team is investigating gait and balance in several groups: 20 people with MS without walking problems, 20 people with MS and walking problems (but who do not use mobility aids) and 20 people without MS. They are assessing posture, gait initiation and walking using state-of-the-art electronic motion tracking systems. Given the essential role that balance and gait play in daily life, a more thorough understanding of these mechanisms is essential for developing effective rehabilitation intervention programs for people with MS.
MS Trial Alert: Investigators Recruiting for Study Comparing Exercise Programs to Improve Depression
Feb 08, 2012
Summary: Investigators at the University of Washington, Seattle, are recruiting 108 people with all types of MS or spinal cord injury nationwide for a study comparing the effects on depression of two telephone-coordinated exercise programs. The study, also called the inMotion study, is funded by the National Institutes on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.
MS Trial Alert: Pain Study Recruiting People with MS Nationwide
Feb 07, 2012
Summary: Investigators nationwide are recruiting 400 people with secondary-progressive MS or relapsing-remitting MS to compare the effectiveness of three doses of the oral drug AVP-923 (Nuedexta®, dextromethorphan hydrobromide and quinidine sulfate, Avanir Pharmaceuticals) or inactive placebo in reducing central neuropathic pain. The study is funded by Avanir Pharmaceuticals.
Research Teams Report on 18 Months of Progress from MS Societies’ Initial Studies on CCSVI and MS
Jan 27, 2012
Reports from 7 multi-disciplinary teams investigating CCSVI in MS indicate that they are making good progress toward providing essential data and critical analysis as these two-year projects move toward their completion. The studies were launched on July 1, 2010 with a more than $ 2.4 million commitment from the MS Society of Canada and the National MS Society (USA).