Mental Practice and Manipulative Skills Training in Multiple Sclerosis

Mental Practice and Manipulative Skills Training in Multiple Sclerosis: a Pilot Study

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system which produces both motor and cognitive dysfunctions. MS causes a decline in the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) due to impairments affecting limb function.

Aim: This pilot study sought to determine whether the use of mental practice (MP) or the combined use of MP and the training of manipulative skills would improve the manipulation motor skills and treatment satisfaction among people with MS.

Methods: The study participants were people with MS. Blinded evaluators performed three assessments for each patient (pre-treatment, post-treatment and at a three month follow up). The patients were divided into three groups with alternate allocation: (A) Mental practice, (B) Mental practice + skills training and (C) Control group.

Keywords: activities of daily living; manual dexterity; mental practice, motor image; multiple sclerosis.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients diagnosed with MS of the RRMS and SPMS subtypes, without the presence of flare-ups during the past three months and aged between 25 and 60 years;
• an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of ≤7,
• not presenting depressive symptoms (measured using the Beck Depression Inventory, BDI),
• not presenting cognitive decline, measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) or Minimental Status Examination.
• In addition, they had to be regularly attending physical therapy and/or occupational therapy rehabilitation treatments.