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Neuromuscular and gait responses to exercise and the time of day in people living with MS and healthy individuals

Multiple Sclerosis | Fatigue | Exercise | Neurological Disorders | Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Symptoms and Signs

This study looks at how exercise affects the severity of fatigue experienced in people living with Multiple Sclerosis and healthy individuals.

Fatigue is a debilitating symptom experienced by the majority of people living with Multiple Sclerosis. Research shows that how much fatigue someone reports depends on how much physical activity they performed throughout the day as well as being at its worst at the end of the day. However, there is no research on how physical activity and the time of day affect fatigue levels.

Research indicates that fatigue is accompanied by changes in walking patterns. Like with fatigue, it appears that changes in walking patterns are impacted by physical activity and time of day, with the greatest changes being in the evening. Unfortunately, there is no research that has explicitly explored how gait responds to physical activity and fatigue between the morning and evening. This study will achieve two things: it will provide insight into the underlying neuromuscular mechanisms that impact fatigue between the morning and evening, and it will identify whether we can track fatigue development and severity through changes in walking pattern between the morning and evening.

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Participation Requirements

  • Sex:

    Male, Female, Intersex

  • Eligible Ages:

    18 to 60

Participation Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:
People living with MS who are (i) 18 to 60 years old, (ii) have been diagnosed between 2 and 25 years, (iii) able to walk for 10 minutes without stopping, and (iv) free of injuries that affect walking.

Healthy participants who are (i) 18 to 60 years old, (ii) of any fitness level, and (iii) free of injuries that affect walking and running.
Exclusion Criteria:
People living with MS will not be eligible if they (i) experience severe spasticity or cerebellar ataxia, (ii) have had the onset of an MS relapse within the last 90 days, (iii) recently altered their mediations that can impact performance, (iv) have a history of intercurrent illness or conditions that compromise your safety, and (v) are unaccustomed to strenuous activity.

Healthy participants are not eligible if they lead a sedentary lifestyle and are unaccustomed to strenuous activity.

Study Location

University of Calgary
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta
Canada

Contact Study Team

Study Sponsored By
University of Calgary
Participants Required
More Information
Study ID: REB25-0199