Motor Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Observational Pilot study of Motor Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis
IRAS ID
122919
Contact name
Jenny Thain
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery
Research summary
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that can cause weakness in muscles. Disability varies but is usually progressive. One of the most disabling effects is decreased walking speed and/or distance resulting in reduced mobility. Through our clinics we can identify a group of these patients with ‘motor fatigability’. These patients usually show normal strength when tested but report gradual reduction in speed of walking over distances. This may be shown in electrical tests which show that the nerve can’t transmit the signals as fast or as effectively but different mechanisms are thought to happen and it is unclear which is prominent. These findings are helpful in describing how weakness occurs but there is a lack of evidence describing when the motor fatigue begins to occur during walking in this patient group. Available studies do not accurately show the specific changes in mobility over distances that are regularly reported and do not link this with any underlying mechanisms. This study aims to find a reliable means of assessing changes in walking speed over distances, using a 6 minute walking test and also to use electrical tests to establish more detail of the mechanisms involved and to compare these findings with the walking test. The study will compare the results between MS patients reporting this weakness, MS patients who do not report it and a group of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). It is thought the changes in walking speed are affected in a different way in people with PD to those with MS.
It is planned that this means of measuring changing speed will be used in further follow-up studies looking at different treatment approaches and further electrical testing in the same patient group.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NW/0489
Date of REC Opinion
14 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion