Exercise as a Strategy to Treat Cognitive Dysfunction in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis (CogEx)

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2; Phase 1

Conditions: Multiple Sclerosis

Treatments: Behavioral: stretching; Behavioral: exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01219647

RG 4174A5/2

Details and patient eligibility

About

Many persons with Multiple Sclerosis ( MS) have problems with memory and thinking.Exercise has been shown to improve memory and thinking in persons with diseases such as Alzheimer's. This study will investigate whether a program of aerobic exercise can improve memory and thinking in persons with MS

Full description

Persons with Multiple Sclerosis(MS)will be screened for eligibility and randomized to a protocol with two intervention arms. One group will have aerobic training on a recumbent cross trainer three times a week for 20-30 minutes/session. The other group will participate in stretching exercises at the same frequency and intensity.Total training time will be six months.Outcome measures will include tests of memory and thinking, and fitness measures.

Enrollment: 35 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Clinical Diagnosis of MS Complaints of cognitive problems Able to ride a recumbent cross trainer

Exclusion criteria

• Cardiopulmonary or structural disease that would limit ability to participate in exercise training On treatment with chemotherapy or natalizumab Screening score of >50 on PASAT

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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35 participants in 2 patient groups

aerobic exercise

Experimental group

Description:

Subjects will train on a recumbent cross trainer 20-30 minutes/session for three times/week for six months under supervision of a fitness specialist

Treatment:

Behavioral: exercise

stretching

Active Comparator group

Description:

Subjects will particiate in supervised stretching at same frauency, duration and intensity of aerobic exericse arm

Treatment:

Behavioral: stretching