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Systemic SclerosisNCT01813578

Effects of Intensive Aerobic and Muscle Endurance Exercise in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis - a Pilot Study

A study testing Exercise in people with Systemic Sclerosis, run by Karolinska University Hospital at 1 site in Sweden.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The hypothesis is that intensive aerobic and endurance muscle training is safe and beneficial in patients with systemic sclerosis and concurrent interstitial lung disease. The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of an eight week intensive aerobic exercise and muscle endurance training program for patients… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 80 years
Conditions the study is for
Systemic Sclerosis
What is being tested?
Exercise
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
4 participants
Where
1 siteSweden
Study dates
Oct 2009to Apr 2010
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • limited or diffuse SSc
  • age 18-80 years
  • diagnosis duration > 1 year
  • unchanged medication since 3 months
  • 50-100 % of normal vital capacity
  • exercising < once a week
Show all 9Show fewer
  • speak and understand the Swedish language
  • average or below aerobic capacity according to the submaximal treadmill test (< 27 ml/kg x min for women and < 30 ml/kg x min for men)
  • < 20 % reduced muscle endurance according to the Functional Index-2

Who cannot join

  • Sendoxan treatment for alveolitis
  • Pulmonal hypertension (PAH)
  • heart condition contraindicating exercise
  • < 50 % of normal vital capacity
  • reduced kidney function
  • not being able to perform the exercise program

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Sweden1 site
  • Karolinska Univeristy Hospital, Solna

    Stockholm, Stockholm County, 171 76

Other trials in Sweden

About this study

The hypothesis is that intensive aerobic and endurance muscle training is safe and beneficial in patients with systemic sclerosis and concurrent interstitial lung disease.

The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of an eight week intensive aerobic exercise and muscle endurance training program for patients with systemic sclerosis and 50-100 % of forced vital capacity.

A single subject experimental design with repeated systematic measures during a six week A-phase (baseline period) and an eight week B-phase (intervention period) was used. Physical capacity (six minute walk test), aerobic capacity (submaximal treadmill test) and muscle endurance in shoulder and hip flexion (Functional Index 2) are assessed every other week throughout the 14 week study. Activity limitation (Health Assessment Questionnaire), quality of life (Short Form 36), Raynaud, Fatigue and Global Health during the recent week (Visual Analogue Scales) are assessed at weeks 0, 6, 14. The exercise program includes aerobic exercise corresponding to 15 on the Borg RPE scale (strenuous) and muscular endurance training three times/week.

Read the detailed description

The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of an eight week intensive aerobic exercise and muscle endurance training program for patients with systemic sclerosis and 50-100 % of forced vital capacity.

As systemic sclerosis is a very rare condition a Single Subject Experimental Design (SSED) was used including a 6-week non-interventional A-phase where patients are assessed systematically followed by an 8-week interventional B-phase where patients exercise three days a week with continued systematic assessments. According to the 2-standard deviation (2 SD) band analysis, statistical analysis were performed for each patient individually. Accordingly, a statistically significant change was detected if two consecutive assessments in the B-phase exceeded the 2 standard deviations (SD) of the mean of the A-phase.

Patients were recruited from an ongoing study at the Karolinska University Hospital with the purpose to screen all patients with systemic sclerosis in Stockholm for cardiovascular disease. All patients meeting the inclusion criteria were invited to participate in this exercise study.

Assessments:

The six minute walking test was used to assess physical capacity. A submaximal treadmill test was used to estimate oxygen uptake in ml/kg x min. Muscle endurance was assessed by the Functional Index 2 registering the number of correct performed repetitions in 7 muscle groups. Pain, Raynaud's Phenomenon, fatigue and global disease impact on general well-being was assessed by the Visual Analogue scale (VAS), 0-100. Limitations in activities of daily living were assessed using the Health Assessment Questionnaire and the SF-36 was included to assess perceived health.

The Exercise program:

The program starts with a 10-minute warm-up session with biking at an intensity corresponding to perceived light exertion (10 on the Borg RPE, 6-20 scale). Thereafter, the load is increased to reach an intensity corresponding to perceived heavy exertion (15 on the Borg RPE scale) for an additional 15 minutes. During the last five minutes of the biking session, the loads are reduced to an intensity corresponding to light exertion. Heart rate was is recorded with a pulse watch (RS100 Polar) and peripheral saturation recorded with a heart rate oximeter (Wristox 3100 Nonin Medical). During the first weeks patients start on lower leads and increasing to the goal intensity. After the biking exercises, the participants perform repetitive dynamic muscle resistance training with the goal to achieve as many repetitions as possible in shoulder flexion and in hip flexion.

Being tested
Exercise
Keywords
Systemic sclerosis, Exercise, Physical capacity, Aerobic capacity, Muscle function, Fatigue
Medical subject headings
Scleroderma, Systemic, Motor Activity, Fatigue

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • ExerciseOther

    Intensive aerobic and muscle endurance exercise

Study groups in NCT01813578
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
InterventionExperimentalAn SSED study is an open-label design where the individual is his or her own control. All patients included received the same exercise intervention.
Receives: Other: Exercise

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Six minute walking test assessing change in physical capacity compared to baseline.

    The six minute walking test assesses physical capacity by recording the walking distance achieved during 6 minutes. The participant is instructed to walk in a self-selected speed, but try to walk as fas a distance as possible. Heart rate, saturation and self-rated central and peripheral exertion is assessed at rest and after 2,4, and 6 minutes.

    Measured: At 0,2,4,6,8,10,12,14 weeks

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Submaximal treadmill test.

    The Minor treadmill test assessed estimated oxygen uptake in ml/kg x min. The test requires a total of eight minutes where the first four minutes are performed on a horizontal treadmill with the patient walking at a self-elected walking speed. During the following four minutes, the patient continues at the same walking speed on a 5 % incline. Work heart rate, saturation, central and peripheral exertion according to the Borg RPE 6-20 scale were recorded after completion of the test.

    Measured: Assessed at 0,2,4,6,8,10,12, and 14 weeks

  2. Functional Index-2

    Functional Index 2 assessed muscle endurance by recording the number of correct performed repetitions in seven muscle groups; Shoulder flexion, shoulder abduction, neck flexion, hip flexion, knee extension, dorsal- and plantar flexion of the ankle. Maximal number of repetitions varies between 0-60 or 0-120 repetitions.

    Measured: Assessed at 0,2,4,6,8,10,12 and 14 weeks.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted19 Mar 2013 (estimated)
  2. Study startOct 2009
  3. Primary completionApr 2010
  4. Study completionApr 2010

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
4 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01813578
Sponsor's protocol ID
Norrbacka 2009
Other IDs
0000
Status last verified
Mar 2013
First submitted
13 Mar 2013
Last updated
19 Mar 2013
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Alexanderson H, Bergegard J, Bjornadal L, Nordin A. Intensive aerobic and muscle endurance exercise in patients with systemic sclerosis: a pilot study. BMC Res Notes. 2014 Feb 7;7:86. doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-7-86.

    PubMed 24507585

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Exercise in people with Systemic Sclerosis, run by Karolinska University Hospital at 1 site in Sweden.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 9 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Mar 2013. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Sweden. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Six minute walking test assessing change in physical capacity compared to baseline. (time frame: At 0,2,4,6,8,10,12,14 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01813578, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 Mar 2013.

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