Feasibility and Initial Efficacy of a Wheelchair Exercise-Training Intervention for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

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Project Summary There are an estimated 1 million adults currently living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States. Based on the unique and progressive nature of MS, up to one third of the MS population requires full or part- time use of a wheelchair. Exercise training is identified as a safe, effective second-line therapy for aiding in MS symptom management, however wheelchair users with MS have been excluded from the majority of research investigating the efficacy and promotion of exercise in MS. Wheelchair users with MS are unique from wheelchair users with other chronic disabling conditions such as spinal cord injury and cerebral palsy (e.g., immune system dysfunction and variable disease course), and warrant focal applications of exercise training that suit disease-specific needs and preferences. Novel exercise training programs for wheelchair users with MS would potentially reduce long-term medical costs through improved symptoms, body composition, and overall health (i.e., reduced comorbid conditions). The overarching goal of the proposed research is to obtain feasibility and initial efficacy data for delivering a stakeholder-informed, home-based, remotely-supported and supervised exercise training program among wheelchair users with MS. Our research team initiated a three-step community-engaged research agenda that provided a foundation for the proposed research. First, semi-structured interviews with wheelchair users with MS regarding preferences for exercise training provided a foundation indicating the need for structured, home- based exercise training. Next, we recruited a community advisory board to advise the research team in creating a wheelchair exercise training program. Subsequently, focus group participants provided feedback regarding the appropriateness of the proposed exercise training program materials and delivery to guide final adaptations. This process yielded a novel exercise training program for wheelchair used with MS that will be tested for feasibility and initial efficacy in the proposed study. Twenty-four wheelchair users with MS will be recruited in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and randomized into exercise training or attention/contact control wellness condition delivered over a 16-week period. The study will assess the feasibility (Specific Aim 1: recruitment, retention, and safety), acceptability (Specific Aim 2: participant satisfaction and perceptions), and scientific outcomes of interest (Specific Aim 3: metabolic health, MS symptoms, and exercise behavior change). If successful, the proposed research will provide critical data for guiding a larger efficacy trial that may substantially move the needle in rehabilitation research and practice for wheelchair users with MS given there are no evidence-based physical activity guidelines for this segment of the MS population. The proposed research is directly aligned with NIH Pathways to Prevention Workshop: Can Physical Activity Improve the Health of Wheelchair Users? and the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research Center’s mission of enhancing the health, productivity, independence, and quality of life of people with physical disabilities.