Steenokkerzeel

Researchers are studying whether wearing a full-body electrical stimulation suit at home can help people with Multiple Sclerosis MS who experience muscle stiffness spasticity or poor coordination ataxia. The study compares two groups one using the stimulation suit alongside their usual care, and a control group receiving only their usual care. The purpose is to see if the suit reduces symptoms and improves daily functioning over six weeks. Participants in the intervention group will wear the tailored electro-stimulation suit daily or every other day for six weeks, starting with one week at an MS center and continuing five weeks at home. The suit delivers low-energy electrical pulses to key muscle groups and is programmed specifically for each user by trained medical staff. The control group will receive their usual rehabilitation care without the suit. Participants will undergo clinical tests at the MS center after one week and six weeks, including various physical and functional assessments like walking tests and muscle function scales. The study also collects weekly symptom ratings during the intervention. Researchers will measure changes in coordination, muscle stiffness, and overall physical ability, with safety monitoring throughout. The total participation lasts six weeks with scheduled evaluations.

Researchers are evaluating a home-based combined cognitive and motor training program to improve cognition in people with multiple sclerosis MS. This randomized controlled clinical trial aims to compare this combined program to cognitive training alone and motor training alone. The study also explores how these treatments affect walking performance and seeks to identify mechanisms of improvement and predictors of treatment response using brain imaging and electrical activity measurements. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups a combined cognitive-motor training group, a cognitive training group, or a motor training group. The cognitive training uses a computer program called RehaCom focused on working memory with sessions lasting 45 minutes, one to two days per week for 12 weeks. The motor training involves a personalized aerobic exercise program at home, with exercise intensity tracked by a sport watch and lasting 90 minutes for the motor group and 45 minutes for the combined group, divided into sessions of at least 15 minutes twice a week. During the study, participants will undergo assessments at several time points baseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, and 64 weeks. These assessments include cognitive tests like the Digit Span Backwards, physical tests such as the 6-Minute Walk Test, and brain imaging including MRI and EEG. Researchers will monitor changes in cognition, disability status, walking ability, and brain function. The study will last over a year, allowing long-term follow-up of effects and safety.