High-intensity circuit training plus home telerehab to improve walking and balance in people with mild-to-moderate MS
Official title: Unravelling The Optimisation And Consolidation Of Motor Skills In People With Multiple Sclerosis With Mild to Moderate Gait Impairment Via High Intensity Task Oriented Circuit Training: A Feasibility Study
Run by University Hospital of Ferrara · NCT07058870 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether a short hospital-based high-intensity task-oriented circuit training program followed by three months of unsupervised telerehabilitation helps people with mild-to-moderate MS improve and maintain walking and balance.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 75 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 18 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University Hospital of Ferrara Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Ferrara, FE) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 15, 2024 |
| Main results expected | February 28, 2026 |
| Study ends | February 28, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | July 10, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07058870 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults with primary or secondary progressive MS who have mild-to-moderate gait impairment (EDSS ≤ 6), intact cognition (MMSE > 24), no major cardiopulmonary/renal/hepatic disease, stable medications for at least three months, and who are not pregnant.
✕Probably not a fit
People with more severe disability (EDSS > 6), significant cognitive impairment, unstable medical conditions, other active neurological or psychiatric disorders, recent medication changes, or who are pregnant are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Participants complete ten one-hour high-intensity, task-oriented circuit training sessions in a hospital setting focusing on walking, stepping, supine-to-stand transitions, and general mobility. After the in-person program, participants follow three months of asynchronous telerehabilitation without real-time physiotherapist supervision to try to maintain gains. The study is a feasibility interventional protocol aimed at safety, tolerability, and preliminary signals of benefit on gait and balance. Outcomes will include measures of gait and balance functional capacity and the durability of any improvements over a six-month period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could improve walking and balance in people with mild-to-moderate MS and provide a practical way to maintain those gains remotely.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies of high-intensity and task-oriented training in MS have shown improvements in gait and balance and telerehabilitation has shown promising but mixed results, so combining these approaches is plausible though still being tested for feasibility.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
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. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of other psychiatric or neurological disorders. * Cardiopulmonary, renal, or liver diseases. * Pregnancy. * Modifications in drug treatment within the last 3 months.
Where it's running
-
Ferrara University Hospital
Ferrara, Fe, Italy Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Sofia Straudi, MD, PhD
- Email: sofia.straudi@unife.it
- Phone: +390532238720
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.