Unravelling The Optimisation And Consolidation Of Motor Skills In People With Multiple Sclerosis With Severe Gait Impairment: A Feasibility Study

Unravelling The Optimisation And Consolidation Of Motor Skills In People With Multiple Sclerosis With Severe Gait Impairment Via High Intensity Task Oriented Circuit Training: A Feasibility Study

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive neurological disorder that often leads to severe gait impairment, limiting mobility and reducing the patient's quality of life. Motor rehabilitation has shown positive effects in people with MS (PwMS), but its efficacy tends to decrease as disability severity increases. High-intensity, task-oriented circuit training based on the principles of motor learning has been proposed as a potential strategy to improve motor function in severely impaired individuals.

This approach combines the benefits of high-intensity training to the motor learning principles to enhance motor skills improvement and retention.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Can high-intensity, task oriented training in PwMS with severe gait impairment be feasible, safe and effective in enhancing motor function?
• Can telerehabilitation maintain the benefits in gait and balance gained via circuit training for a six month period?

Participants will:

• Complete 12 session ( three hour each, three times a week) of high-intensity task oriented circuit training administered in a hospital setting. The training will target key motor skills such as walking, stepping, sit to stand, wheelchair, standing and bed mobillity.
• Engage in 3 months of asynchronous telerehabilitation (without physiotherapist supervision), including monthly televisits.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of primary or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis according to the McDonald criteria.
• Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score > 24.
• Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score ≥ 6.5.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of other psychiatric or neurological disorders.
• Cardiopulmonary, renal, or liver diseases.
• Pregnancy.
• Modifications in drug treatment within the last 3 months.