- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system with no known exact cause. It has no cure.
- Cognitive processing speed (CPS) impairment is prevalent among people with MS and correlates with increased difficulties in daily living functions.
- In a recent pilot study, participants who undertook aerobic walking exercise training showed moderate CPS improvement after 16 weeks.
- The research suggests that remote exercise training may be a viable tool to improve CPS impairment in fully ambulatory people with MS.
- The study authors hope that their protocol and findings lay the framework for randomized trials with larger samples.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disorder that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. The National MS Society estimates that nearly 1 million people in the United States live with the condition.
Cognitive processing speed (CPS) impairment is a common MS symptom that can improve with exercise. However, many people with MS have challenges with accessibility to exercise training programs.
Experts from the Kessler Foundation in New Jersey recently ran a pilot study assessing the effectiveness of remote aerobic walking exercise training on CPS in fully ambulatory people with MS.
They hypothesized that this “form of physical rehabilitation represents a promising and potent behavior for managing CPS impairment in MS.”
The team observed moderate CPS improvements in participants who walked compared to individuals who were prescribed stretching activities.
Dr. Brian M. Sandroff, senior research scientist at the Kessler Foundation, was the lead author of the resulting article published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders in April 2023.
Experts believe that MS develops when an unknown trigger turns the immune system against the central nervous system (CNS). This damages the nerves’ protective layer — called myelin — disrupting neural signaling throughout the CNS.
Consequently, people with MS face…
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