Running Title: Walking to Music and in Silence on a Treadmill

Hasselt University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Multiple Sclerosis

Treatments: Other: Walking with music with synchronisation; Other: Walking with music without synchronisation; Other: walking without music

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04856345

B1152020000021

Details and patient eligibility

About

This work is embedded in the context of auditory-motor coupling, which entails the engagement of two systems; the interaction between the music (or repetitive auditory stimuli) and a walking individual (repetitive movements of footfall). In previous studies, the investigators have shown that synchronising steps to beats in music have shown to be feasible in persons with multiple sclerosis, showing increase of step frequency and reduced perceived fatigue[1, 2]. In this current work, The investigators expand previous findings with a pilot intervention study, to investigate if synchronisation is necessary to improve cognitive and motor functions.

The proposed experiment includes 30 participants, randomised to three arms of a pilot intervention (10 participants per arm). With the intention of a further case-study analysis, the inestigators request to include 4 additional participants (2 PwMS with cognitive impairment, and 2 persons with cerebellar lesion) to only follow the intervention arm 1.

Enrollment: 5 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• A diagnosis of MS if >1,
• no relapses >1 month,
• ability to walk for 12minutes,
• ability to walk independently on a treadmill
• walking speed between 0.8-1.2m/s.

Exclusion criteria

• amusia,
• deafness,
• cognitive impairment hindering understanding of study instructions,
• pregnancy.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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5 participants in 3 patient groups

Music with synchronising

Experimental group

Description:

walking to music that one can synchronise to

Treatment:

Other: Walking with music with synchronisation

Music without synchronising

Active Comparator group

Description:

walking to music that one cannot synchronise to

Treatment:

Other: Walking with music without synchronisation

No music

Sham Comparator group

Description:

walking without music.

Treatment:

Other: walking without music