Motor Learning of Fall Resistant Skills Through Slip and Trip Exposure in Multiple Sclerosis

Conditions

• Multiple Sclerosis (Relapsing Remitting)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

45 Years - 89 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Perturbation Training — BEHAVIORAL
  Unexpected slips blended with trips and unperturbed walking trials on a treadmill. A safety harness will be worn at all times.
• Treadmill Walking — BEHAVIORAL
  Treadmill walking for the same amount of time as the training group without perturbation. A safety harness will be worn at all times.

Study Details

The primary purpose of this interventional study is to examine the overall motor learning capacity from exposure to repeated perturbations among ambulatory people with multiple sclerosis (MS). This project will advance our understanding of learning new motor skills from exposure to external perturbations. If it is proven that people with MS can learn motor skills from perturbation training, the findings from this study will pave a theoretical foundation for applying perturbation training as a promising fall prevention intervention for people with MS.

Key Dates

Start date

Jan 31, 2026

Status verified

Dec 2025

Primary completion

Mar 31, 2028

Completion

Dec 31, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment

64 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

PREVENTION

Arms

• Experimental: Training Group
  During the acquisition session, this group will undergo perturbation training on the treadmill while wearing a safety harness. Then, they will experience an unexpected slip and trip while wearing a safety harness and walking overground. During the 3-month and 6-month retention sessions, they will experience a slip and trip during treadmill walking and a slip and trip during overground walking.
• Active Comparator: Control Group
  During the acquisition session, this group will walk on the treadmill without perturbations for the same amount of time as the training group. Then, they will experience an unexpected slip and trip while wearing a safety harness and walking overground. During the 3-month and 6-month retention sessions, they will experience a slip and trip during treadmill walking and a slip and trip during overground walking.

Primary Outcome Measure

Perturbation Outcome (Fall or Non-Fall) on the Treadmill or Overground [ Time Frame: Baseline (acquisition session), 3-month retention session, 6-month retention session. ]

Central Contacts

• Feng Yang, Ph.D.
  404-413-8357
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in Atlanta, GA