Hip flexor functional electrical stimulation for multiple sclerosis v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effectiveness and feasibility of Functional Electrical Stimulation of hip flexor muscles for functional gait in people with multiple sclerosis.
IRAS ID
154049
Contact name
John Cossar
Contact email
Research summary
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) often have difficulties with walking due to muscle weakness. Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) delivers electrical impulses to excite nerves and cause muscles to contract: self-adhesive electrodes are placed over muscle and connected to a battery powered electrical stimulation device, which is used during walking. Research has shown that FES can be helpful for people with who have ankle weakness or ‘drop-foot’ (National Institute of Clinical Excellence, 2009).
This feasibility study will apply FES to both the ankle and hip-flexor muscles to aid leg lift during walking. The feasibility of FES for hip-flexor and ankle muscles to aid walking for people with MS will be investigated; this treatment is sometimes applied in clinical practice but has never been evaluated in research.
Twelve patients with MS, who have been using foot-drop FES for at least 6 weeks under the FES service at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, will be invited to participate in the study if they have hip weakness and ongoing difficulty walking. Assessments of walking speed over 10-meters and on stair climbing will be completed at baseline, following 6-weeks where participants use their usual drop-foot FES, immediately after application of FES for hip-flexor and ankle muscles and again following 6-weeks of using FES for both muscle groups. Participants will be assessed walking without FES, with drop-foot FES alone and with FES for hip and ankle muscles. Subjects will complete questionnaires to inform regarding impact of the treatment on their fear of falling, self-perceived walking disability and treatment benefits.
This study will help determine the feasibility of this treatment and guide physiotherapists regarding the use of FES for hip-flexor activity in people with MS. It will also inform a power calculation to determine the number of participants required to establish efficacy in a future randomised controlled trial.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2009) ‘Functional Electrical Stimulation for drop foot of central neurological origin’, [online] available at <www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/11932/42902/42902.pdf>
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1224
Date of REC Opinion
29 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion