Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the mobility and postural balance improvements that could
be achieved in a cohort of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) who participated
in a motor adaptation protocol and a cohort of persons with MS who participated
in a therapeutic exercise protocol. DESIGN: A cohort design, where subjects were
evaluated before and after a
6-week intervention period. SETTING: Clinical
laboratory setting. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals (N=42) with relapsing-remitting or
secondary progressive MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] scores,
3.0-6.5) were initially screened for eligibility for participation in the study,
from which those who fit the inclusion criteria (n=32) were enrolled in the
study. Subjects were pseudorandomly assigned to a treatment group and matched
based on EDSS scores. Fourteen individuals in the motor adaptation cohort (MAC)
(mean age +/- SD, 52.6+/-9y; mean EDSS score +/- SD, 5.5+/-0.9) and 13
individuals in the therapeutic exercise cohort (TEC) (mean age +/- SD, 54.0+/-9y;
mean EDSS score +/- SD, 5.3+/-0.9) completed the entire duration of their
respective programs. INTERVENTIONS: Both cohorts completed their therapy twice a
day, 5 days each week, for 6 weeks. Each session of the MAC program consisted of
balance and gait training that encouraged new ways to adapt to challenging task
demands. The TEC program was similar to a traditional exercise program. MAIN
OUTCOME MEASURES: The Sensory Organization Test,
6-minute walk test, and gait
spatiotemporal kinematics. RESULTS: Collectively, both treatment groups had
improvements in postural balance (P=.001), walking endurance (P=.002), walking
speed (P=.004), and step length (P<.001) after therapy. However, there were no
statistical differences between the 2 treatment groups for any of the outcome
variables (P values >.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our exploratory results suggest that a
high frequency of physical therapy rather than a specific activity focus might be
an important parameter for persons with MS.
CI - Copyright A(c) 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS