Slip-and-trip motor training to reduce falls in relapsing‑remitting multiple sclerosis
Official title: Motor Learning of Fall Resistant Skills Through Slip and Trip Exposure in Multiple Sclerosis
Run by Georgia State University · NCT06919900 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program tests whether repeated practice with controlled slips and trips helps ambulatory adults with relapsing‑remitting multiple sclerosis learn to react better and lower their chance of falling.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 45 Years to 89 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 64 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Georgia State University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Atlanta, Georgia) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | April 6, 2026 |
| Main results expected | March 2028 |
| Study ends | December 2028 |
| Registry record updated | June 17, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06919900 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are ambulatory adults aged 45 or older with clinically confirmed relapsing‑remitting MS who can walk independently at least 25 feet, stand 30 seconds, have a PDDS of 0–4, a MoCA score ≥23, no recent relapse, and meet safety criteria such as T‑score ≥‑2.5 and no major cardiovascular or neurological comorbidities.
✕Probably not a fit
People with progressive MS, recent relapses, severe disability beyond PDDS 4, significant medical or psychiatric comorbidities, osteoporosis (T‑score < -2.5), or prior perturbation training 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
Sixty-four ambulatory adults with relapsing‑remitting MS will be randomly assigned to a perturbation training group or a control walking group and complete an initial acquisition session. The training group practices a mix of treadmill slips, trips, and unperturbed walking while the control group walks without perturbations for the same duration. Immediately after acquisition both groups will face unexpected overground slip and trip exposures, and both groups return for treadmill and overground retention tests at 3 and 6 months. The trial measures motor learning of reactive and proactive balance (changes in center of mass relative to base of support) to determine whether perturbation exposure produces lasting improvements in dynamic stability.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could teach people with MS more effective reactive balance responses and reduce fall risk and fall-related injuries.
How similar studies have gone: Perturbation training has reduced falls and improved reactive balance in older adults and some neurological groups, but evidence specifically in MS is limited though promising.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Clinically confirmed multiple sclerosis 2. At least 45 years old 3. Able to walk independently at least 25 feet 4. Able to stand independently for at least 30 seconds 5. Patient Determined Disability Steps score between 0 and 4 6. Free from pregnancy 7. Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of 23 or higher Exclusion Criteria: 1. Previous experience with perturbation training 2. T-score from the dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan of less than -2.5 3. Coexisting psychiatric disorders or other neurological conditions, severe medical illness, or cardiovascular diseases 4. Participants have had a relapse in the past 8 weeks
Where it's running
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Georgia State University Biomechanics Lab
Atlanta, Georgia, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Feng Yang, Ph.D.
- Email: fyang@gsu.edu
- Phone: 404-413-8357
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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.