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Effect of 12 Weeks of Supported Treadmill Training on Functional Ability and Quality of Life in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study

By Pilutti, Lara A.; Lelli, Danny A.; Paulseth, John E.; Crome, Maria; Jiang, Shucui; Rathbone, Michel P.; Hicks, Audrey L.; Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vol. 92, No. 1, pp. 31-36
Publication Date: January 2011

Pilot study examined the effects of body-weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT) on functional ability and quality of life in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) of high disability. Participants were 6 patients aged 35 to 61 years with progressive MS with high disability, 4 of whom were women. Participants completed 3 30-minute sessions of BWSTT 3 times a week over 12 weeks. Training was carried out with the Woodway Loco-System, which consists of a treadmill with an overhead pulley system connected to a supportive harness. The training strategy promoted proper gait mechanics, focusing on weight bearing, weight shifting, and body positioning. Outcome measures included functional ability assessed by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC). Quality of life and fatigue were assessed by the MS Quality of Life-54 (MSQoL-54) and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), respectively. All tests were administered at baseline and 12 weeks post training. All participants progressively improved training intensity; treadmill walking speed increased, and percent body weight support was reduced. A significant improvement in both physical and mental subscales of the MSQoL-54 was found. Fatigue was non-significantly reduced by 31 percent; however, a large effect size of .93 was noted. Functional ability remained stable with non-significant improvements of MSFC and EDSS scores. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
Published by: W.B. Saunders Company, a division of Elsevier Health Sciences   (Website:http://us.elsevierhealth.com)

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation    (Web Site: http://www.aapmr.org/ )
American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine    (Web Site: http://www.acrm.org )
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J60533
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