The following is a summary of “Results of a feasibility and initial efficacy clinical trial of a high-intensity interval training program using adaptive equipment in persons with multiple sclerosis who have walking disability,” published in the May 2024 issue of Neurology by Silveira et al.
High-intensity interval Training (HIIT) is a promising tool for motivating people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) to engage in healthy physical activity.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study assessing the feasibility and initial benefits of a 12-week HIIT program using a recumbent exercise stepper (RSTEP) for people with MS who have walking difficulties.
They conducted a pre-post clinical trial with 16 participants enrolled in a 12-week RSTEP HIIT program. Inclusion criteria included age ≥18 years, MS diagnosis, Patient Determined Disability Steps scale score 3.0-7.0, relapse-free in the past 30 days, English proficiency, and physician approval. Efficacy measures included 6MW, T25FW, BICAMS, 9-HPT, EDSS, FSS, HADS, GLTEQ, and MSWS-12. Baseline, 6-week, and 12-week assessments were conducted.
Supervised HIIT sessions with RSTEP were held twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included 10 cycles of 60s intervals at 90% VO2peak, totaling 20 minutes with warm-up and cool-down. Feasibility and efficacy were assessed through statistics and ANOVA.
The results showed that 14/16 participants adhered to prescribed exercise 97% of the time. About 23 staff members were trained at two sites. One AE occurred, not affecting study participation, and participants rated the program satisfaction at 4.7/5. Significant changes were observed in cognitive processing speed (P=0.002), GLTEQ (P=0.005), and MSWS-12 (P=0.04), with large effect sizes for peak power output (d=1.10) and FSS (d=1.05) despite no significant changes in fitness, arm function, or walking.
Investigators found that a 12-week customized RSTEP HIIT program was feasible and significantly improved participants’ cognition, physical activity, and walking.
Source: msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(24)00272-4/abstract
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