Sheffield Hallam University (UK) Explores Exercise Intervention For Multiple Sclerosis Sufferers

Main Category: Multiple Sclerosis
Also Included In: Sports Medicine / Fitness;  Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy
Article Date: 17 Nov 2008 - 2:00 PST

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Sheffield Hallam University has been awarded a new £200,000 research grant to investigate the effects of exercise intervention on sufferers of multiple sclerosis (MS). The MS Society has awarded the grant to the University's Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, which will study the effects of exercise therapy on physical activity and health outcomes in people living with MS. Led by Dr John Saxton, a Reader in Clinical Exercise Physiology, the grant becomes the third received from the Society by Sheffield Hallam University.

"Living with multiple sclerosis is a difficult experience both physically and mentally," said Dr Saxton. "This has created a need for clinicians and researchers to address issues that are related to the long-term health-related quality of life for people with the condition. Our study will tackle some important questions, the answers to which we hope will not only help people with MS but also the organisations which must budget for their treatment."

MS research has previously demonstrated that exercise is an effective intervention which improves function, mobility and health-related quality of life in people living with the disease, but it is not known what type of intervention or what dose of exercise might be most effective. Dr Saxton's study will seek not only to develop knowledge in this area, but also to examine the cost-effectiveness of a practical exercise intervention. This aspect will play a vital role in decisions by health policy makers over the implementation of such treatments.

The project will measure physical activity, aerobic function, physical function and health related quality of life before and after a 12-week exercise plan. Participants will be followed for three months after the interventions to provide an indication of whether any benefits have been sustained.

"The award of this grant is a real endorsement by the MS Society," says Dr Saxton. "Together we hope to provide valuable and vital insights to help alleviate the difficulties for people living with MS."

Ed Holloway, Social and Economic Research Manager, said: "The MS Society is delighted to fund further research in this important area of symptom relief.

"For many people with MS, remaining active through exercise is hugely beneficial and it is important to understand what exercise is most helpful and what health benefits it brings."

The study will be partnered with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Birmingham. About the study

The effects of a pragmatic exercise therapy intervention on physical activity and important health outcomes influencing maintenance in people with multiple sclerosis

The programme is predominantly home-based, but uses a tapered programme of supervised sessions to provide support and guidance. The programme will be tailored for each individual, taking into account the views and expertise of a physiotherapist, exercise specialist and the participant.

As many individuals do not succeed in their efforts to establish and maintain lifestyle changes, the programme will include practical strategies, tools and skills to help individuals sustain their exercise behaviour and thus experience positive health gains from their participation. These strategies will incorporate some principles from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

120 people with MS will be recruited to the study, who will then be randomized to either receive the 12 week exercise programme or usual care.

A range of outcome measures will be assessed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the exercise programme. These include physical activity levels of the participants, neurological assessments including EDSS, and a range of quality of life measures including measures of fatigue.

About John Saxton

John is a Reader in Clinical Exercise Physiology. He is an accredited Research Physiologist with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences and member of the Physiological Society. His major research interests are centred on the role of exercise and other lifestyle factors for promoting improvements in physiological function, quality of life and disease-free survival in clinical populations.

John graduated from Loughborough University before embarking upon PhD research in skeletal muscle physiology at the University of Wolverhampton and University of Massachusetts. Following a period of post-doctoral work, he undertook lectureships at Oxford Brookes University and the University of Sheffield, before working as a research physiologist in Health and Safety Executive research laboratories in Sheffield. He has been at Sheffield Hallam University since 2000 working on a number of randomised controlled trials with clinical populations.

About the MS Society

The MS Society is the UK's largest charity dedicated to supporting everyone whose life is touched by MS, providing respite care, an award-winning freephone helpline (0808 800 8000), specialist MS nurses and funds more than 50 vital MS research projects in the UK.

Multiple sclerosis is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults and an estimated 85,000 people in the UK have MS.

MS is the result of damage to myelin - the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the central nervous system - which interferes with messages between the brain and the body.

For some people, MS is characterised by periods of relapse and remission while for others it has a progressive pattern. Symptoms range from loss of sight and mobility, fatigue, depression and cognitive problems. There is no cure

www.mssociety.org.uk