Rhythmic cued motor imagery and walking in people with multiple sclerosis: a randomised controlled feasibility study

BACKGROUND: Novel physiotherapy approaches such as motor imagery and rhythmic auditory stimulation have been shown to improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Rhythmic cued motor imagery was used in this study, whose objectives were to evaluate the feasibility of a larger randomised controlled trial (RCT) in people with MS and to obtain information on walking. METHODS: Thirty adult people with MS who scored 1.5–4.5 on the Expanded Disability Status Scale were recruited at the MS Clinic Innsbruck, Austria. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three groups, all receiving usual care: 17 min of motor imagery, six times per week, for 4 weeks, with music (A) or metronome cues (B) and (C) controls. Primary outcomes were recruitment rates, retention, compliance, adverse events and fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale). Secondary outcomes were walking speed (Timed 25-Foot Walk) and walking distance (6-Minute Walk Test). RESULTS: We achieved our recruitment target by recruiting 12 participants per month, a mean eligibility rate of 40.1 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 35.8, 44.6 %) out of 2500 MS Centre patients, mean consent rate of 15.9 % (95 % CI 11.3, 21.7 %) plus 54.5 % (95 % CI 47.4, 61.4 %) of eligible patients who expressed their interest to participate. Retention of 100 %, no adverse events, good compliance, high acceptability of the interventions and no worsening of fatigue confirmed feasibility. The mean improvement in walking speed in both groups A and B was −0.9 s (95 % CI −1.3, −0.5), and mean worsening in group C was 0.4 s (95 % CI −0.3, 1.1). The mean improvement in walking distance in group A was 68.1 m (95 % CI 51.4, 84.7) and in group B 92.9 m (95 % CI 55.2, 130.5), and mean worsening in group C was −9.4 m (95 % CI −35.6, 16.9). CONCLUSIONS: Results from our study showed that a full-scale RCT is feasible to investigate the effects of rhythmic cued motor imagery on walking in people with MS, with no changes to the interventions and assessments. Based on the walking improvements, a total sample size of 138 participants was calculated. Stratified blocked randomisation, allocation concealment and blinding will be used in the main study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN: ISRCTN6705411

Feasibility of an individualised, task-oriented, video-supported home exercise programme for arm function in patients in the subacute phase after stroke: protocol of a randomised controlled pilot study

INTRODUCTION Stroke rehabilitation guidelines suggest a high-frequency task-oriented training at high intensity. A targeted and self-paced daily training with intermittent supervision is recommended to improve patients' self-management and functional output. So far, there is conflicting evidence concerning the most effective home-training delivery method. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The purpose of this pilot study is to compare the feasibility and preliminary effects of task-oriented home-exercises in patients in the subacute stage after stroke. Twenty-four patients will be randomised (1:1) to a Video group (a) or Paper group (b) of an individualised, task-oriented home-training (50 min, 6×/week, for 4 weeks) based on Wulf and Lewthwaite's Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning theory of motor learning. Patient-relevant goals will be identified using Goal Attainment Scaling and exercises progressively adapted. Semistructured interviews and a logbook will be used to monitor adherence, arm use and acceptability. Primary outcome will be the feasibility of the methods and a full-scale trial employing predefined feasibility criteria (recruitment, retention and adherence rates, patients' satisfaction with the home-exercise programme and their progress, affected hand use and acceptance of the intervention). Assessed at baseline, post intervention and 4-week follow-up, secondary outcomes include self-perceived hand and arm use, actual upper extremity function and dexterity, hand strength, independence in activities of daily living and health-related quality of life. Interview data will be analysed using qualitative content analysis. Medians (ranges) will be reported for ordinal data, means (SD) for continuous and frequency (percentage) for nominal data. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This study follows the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials-Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Extension guideline. Ethical approval was received from the Ethics Committee of the Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria (1304/2020). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants prior to data collection. Study results will be disseminated to participating patients, patient organisations, via the clinic's homepage, relevant conferences and peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER DRKS-ID: DRKS00023395.Study protocol, second revision, 5 December 2021

Exploring cued and non-cued motor imagery interventions in people with multiple sclerosis: a randomised feasibility trial and reliability study

Abstract Background Motor imagery (MI) is increasingly used in neurorehabilitation to facilitate motor performance. Our previous study results demonstrated significantly improved walking after rhythmic-cued MI in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). The present feasibility study was aimed to obtain preliminary information of changes in walking, fatigue, quality of life (QoL) and MI ability following cued and non-cued MI in pwMS. The study further investigated the feasibility of a larger study and examined the reliability of a two-dimensional gait analysis system. Methods At the MS-Clinic, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria, 15 adult pwMS (1.5–4.5 on the Expanded Disability Status Scale, 13 females) were randomised to one of three groups: 24 sessions of 17 min of MI with music and verbal cueing (MVMI), with music alone (MMI), or non-cued (MI). Descriptive statistics were reported for all outcomes. Primary outcomes were walking speed (Timed 25-Foot Walk) and walking distance (6-Minute Walk Test). Secondary outcomes were recruitment rate, retention, adherence, acceptability, adverse events, MI ability (Kinaesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire, Time-Dependent MI test), fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale) and QoL (Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale-29). The reliability of a gait analysis system used to assess gait synchronisation with music beat was tested. Results Participants showed adequate MI abilities. Post-intervention, improvements in walking speed, walking distance, fatigue, QoL and MI ability were observed in all groups. Success of the feasibility criteria was demonstrated by recruitment and retention rates of 8.6% (95% confidence interval, CI 5.2, 13.8%) and 100% (95% CI 76.4, 100%), which exceeded the target rates of 5.7% and 80%. Additionally, the 83% (95% CI 0.42, 0.99) adherence rate surpassed the 67% target rate. Intra-rater reliability analysis of the gait measurement instruments demonstrated excellent Intra-Class Correlation coefficients for step length of 0.978 (95% CI 0.973, 0.982) and step time of 0.880 (95% CI 0.855, 0.902). Conclusion Results from our study suggest that cued and non-cued MI are valuable interventions in pwMS who were able to imagine movements. A larger study appears feasible, however, substantial improvements to the methods are required such as stratified randomisation using a computer-generated sequence and blinding of the assessors. Trial registration ISRCTN ISRCTN92351899. Registered 10 December 2015

Differential binding of autoantibodies to MOG isoforms in inflammatory demyelinating diseases

Objective: To analyze serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to major isoforms of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-alpha 1-3 and beta 1-3) in patients with inflammatory demyelinating diseases. Methods: Retrospective case-control study using 378 serum samples from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), patients with non-MS demyelinating disease, and healthy controls with MOG alpha-1-IgG positive (n = 202) or negative serostatus (n = 176). Samples were analyzed for their reactivity to human, mouse, and rat MOG isoforms with and without mutations in the extracellular MOG Ig domain (MOG-ecIgD), soluble MOG-ecIgD, and myelin from multiple species using live cell-based, tissue immunofluorescence assays and ELISA. Results: The strongest IgG reactivities were directed against the longest MOG isoforms alpha-1 (the currently used standard test for MOG-IgG) and beta-1, whereas the other isoforms were less frequently recognized. Using principal component analysis, we identified 3 different binding patterns associated with non-MS disease: (1) isolated reactivity to MOG-alpha-1/beta-1 (n = 73), (2) binding to MOG-alpha-1/beta-1 and at least one other alpha, but no beta isoform (n = 64), and (3) reactivity to all 6 MOG isoforms (n = 65). The remaining samples were negative (n = 176) for MOG-IgG. These MOG isoform binding patterns were associated with a non-MS demyelinating disease, but there were no differences in clinical phenotypes or disease course. The 3 MOG isoform patterns had distinct immunologic characteristics such as differential binding to soluble MOG-ecIgD, sensitivity to MOG mutations, and binding to human MOG in ELISA. Conclusions: The novel finding of differential MOG isoform binding patterns could inform future studies on the refinement of MOG-IgG assays and the pathophysiologic role of MOG-IgG

Feasibility of motor imagery and effects of activating and relaxing practice on autonomic functions in healthy young adults: A randomised, controlled, assessor-blinded, pilot trial

Introduction Motor imagery (MI) is the mental rehearsal of a motor task. Between real and imagined movements, a functional equivalence has been described regarding timing and brain activation. The primary study aim was to investigate the feasibility of MI training focusing on the autonomic function in healthy young people. Further aims were to evaluate participants' MI abilities and compare preliminary effects of activating and relaxing MI on autonomic function and against controls. Methods A single-blinded randomised controlled pilot trial was performed. Participants were randomised to the activating MI (1), relaxing MI (2), or control (3) group. Following a MI familiarisation, they practiced home-based kinaesthetic MI for 17 minutes, 5 times/week for 2 weeks. Participants were called once for support. The primary outcome was the feasibility of a full-scale randomised controlled trial using predefined criteria. Secondary outcomes were participants' MI ability using the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised, mental chronometry tests, hand laterality judgement and semi-structured interviews, autonomic function. Results A total of 35 participants completed the study. The feasibility of a larger study was confirmed, despite 35% attrition related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Excellent MI capabilities were seen in participants, and significant correlations between MI ability measures. Interview results showed that participants accepted or liked both interventions. Seven major themes and insider recommendations for MI interventions emerged. No significant differences and negligible to medium effects were observed in MI ability or autonomic function between baseline and post-intervention measures or between groups. Conclusions Results showed that neither activating nor relaxing MI seems to change autonomic function in healthy individuals. Further adequately powered studies are required to answer open questions remaining from this study. Future studies should investigate effects of different MI types over a longer period, to rule out habituation and assess autonomic function at several time points and simultaneously with MI

Additional file 1: of Exploring cued and non-cued motor imagery interventions in people with multiple sclerosis: a randomised feasibility trial and reliability study

CONSORT checklist for pilot and feasibility studies. (DOC 229 kb