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Multiple SclerosisNCT06075472

The Effect of Inspiratory Muscle Training on Balance and Postural Control in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

A study testing Inspiratory Muscle Training and Balance Exercises in people with Multiple Sclerosis, run by Marmara University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

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 goal of this study is to investigate the effect of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients on balance and postural control. The main question it aims to answer are: Is IMT effective in improving balance and postural control in MS patients? Participants will be randomly divided into… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for
Multiple Sclerosis
What is being tested?
Inspiratory Muscle Training and Balance Exercises
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
29 participants
Where
1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates
6 Mar 2023to 26 Jun 2024
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 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Having a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS with an EDSS of 1.5-5.5
  • Having a Mini Mental Test score greater than 24
  • Being between the ages of 18-65

Who cannot join

  • Having a neurological disease other than MS
  • Having an attack while working
  • Problems other than MS that may affect balance
  • Have a diagnosis of cardiac or pulmonary disease that will affect breathing

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
  • Prof. Dr. Cemil Taşçıoğlu Şehir Hastanesi

    Istanbul, Şişli

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients on balance and postural control. The main question it aims to answer are:

  • Is IMT effective in improving balance and postural control in MS patients? Participants will be randomly divided into two groups. One group will be given only balance exercises. The other group will be given IMT treatment in addition to balance exercises.
Read the detailed description

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). MS is a disease that usually progresses with attacks and can lead to progressive disability and severely restrict the quality of life in patients due to the accumulation of sequelae after attacks or the development of a progressive degenerative process. Somatosensory findings, motor findings, postural control-balance and coordination disorders, bladder-intestinal problems, visual, cognitive and psychiatric findings, fatigue and sleep disorders are seen in patients related to the CNS involvement site.

Balance, one of the International Classification of Functioning headings, is a skill included in activity and participation, expressing the body's ability to maintain its upright position against gravity, and reflects stability limits. Balance impairment is one of the most common problems in patients with MS and is one of the factors that cause disability. Lesions in the brain stem and cerebellum cause loss of postural control and balance. There are many causes of loss of balance: visual symptoms, optic neuritis, vestibular changes, somatosensory changes, ventromedial tract lesion, tone changes, loss of muscle strength, incoordination.

Respiratory dysfunction in individuals with MS is an important problem that starts from the early period of the disease, increases in severity with the progression of the disability and causes mortality. Considering the pathophysiology of respiratory problems in MS, unlike other neuromuscular diseases, demyelinating lesions are found and spread in one or more areas related to breathing in the brain and spinal cord. The location and size of the plaques were associated with muscle weakness.

One of the methods used in the field of pulmonary rehabilitation in MS patients is Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT). The muscles responsible for primary inspiration are the diaphragm, external intercostal muscles, and scalene muscles. Inspiratory muscle training increases inspiratory muscle strength, type 1 muscle fibers, reduces dyspnea, increases maximum minute ventilation and 6-minute walking distance and quality of life. It is usually applied at 30% of the maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) value for 30 minutes a day.

The effect of the core muscles is great in providing balance and postural control. The diaphragm forms the roof of the core muscles and plays an important role in the mobility of the thorax. Training the diaphragm muscle, like other muscles, is important for maintaining dynamic and static balance. IMT can help stabilize thoracic mobility by strengthening the diaphragm and scalene muscles, contributing to the stability of chest movements and improving transfer skills.

Being tested
Inspiratory Muscle Training, Balance Exercises
Keywords
balance, inspiratory muscle training, postural control
Medical subject headings
Multiple Sclerosis

What participants receive

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

  • Inspiratory Muscle TrainingOther

    Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is a therapeutic technique which involves specific training of respiratory muscles to yield improvements in inspiratory muscle strength and respiratory function.

  • Balance ExercisesOther

    Balance exercises involve functional movements at the individual's maximum level of independence.

Study groups in NCT06075472
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Treatment GroupExperimentalIMT: Inspiratory Muscle Training. Five days per week, 30 minutes per day.
Receives: Other: Inspiratory Muscle Training; Other: Balance Exercises
Control GroupActive comparatorBalance exercises: It has been specially designed for the patient.
Receives: Other: Balance Exercises

What is being measured

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

  1. Mini-BesTEST

    Mini-BESTest consists of 14 items divided into four subsections. In the Mini-BESTest evaluation, each item receives a three-point score.

    rated on an ordinal scale (0= lowest function ranging from level to 2= Normal function level). The total score is the sum of the scores obtained from these items. and ranges from 0 (worst) to 28 (best).

    Measured: Fifteen minutes

  2. Trunk Impact Scale

    The Trunk Impact Scale (TIS) consists of three subscales: static sitting balance, dynamic sitting balance and co-ordination. Each subscale contains between three and ten items. The TIS score ranges from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 23.

    Measured: Ten minutes

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Falls Efficacy Scale International

    The Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) is a short, easy to administer tool that measures the level of concern about falling during 16 social and physical activities inside and outside the home whether or not the person actually does the activity. The level of concern is measured on a four-point Likert scale (1=not at all concerned to 4=very concerned).

    Measured: Fifteen Minutes

  2. Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 (MSQOL-54)

    The Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 (MSQOL-54) was developed by using the RAND 36-item Health Survey 1.0 (SF-36) as a generic core measure, to enable comparisons of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with multiple sclerosis to those of other patient populations and to the general population.

    To enhance comparisons within groups of multiple sclerosis patients, these items were supplemented with 16 additional items in the areas of health distress, sexual function, satisfaction with sexual function, overall quality of life, cognitive function, energy, pain, and social function.

    The final measure, the MSQOL-54 Instrument, contains 54 items.

    Measured: Twenty minutes

  3. Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale

    The Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale is a patient-reported outcome measure that asks individuals to rate how confident they are that they will not lose their balance while performing 16 different activities.

    The ABC Activities range from common tasks like walking around the house to less common and more challenging situations, like stepping off of a moving escalator while carrying packages. The patient is asked to rate their confidence in their balance, while performing 16 activities, on a percentage scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is a certainty of falling or becoming unstable and 100 is complete confidence in the patient's own ability to stay balanced.

    Measured: Ten Minutes

  4. Two minutes walking test

    The Two/2 Minute Walk Test (2MWT) is a measure of self-paced walking ability and functional capacity, particularly for those who cannot manage the longer Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) or 12 Minute Walk Test.

    Measured: Four minutes

  5. Pulmonary Function Test

    Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) allow health proffessionals to evaluate the respiratory function of their patients in many clinical situations and when there are risk factors for lung disease, occupational exposures, and pulmonary toxicity.

    Measured: Ten minutes

Timeline

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

  1. First posted10 Oct 2023
  2. Study start6 Mar 2023
  3. Primary completion26 Feb 2024
  4. Study completion26 Jun 2024

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
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Randomized Controlled Trial
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
29 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06075472
Sponsor's protocol ID
MarmaraU_DumanOzkan_01
Status last verified
May 2025
First submitted
29 Dec 2022
Last updated
6 May 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: The IPD will not be shared with other researchers.

Publications

  • Martin-Sanchez C, Calvo-Arenillas JI, Barbero-Iglesias FJ, Fonseca E, Sanchez-Santos JM, Martin-Nogueras AM. Effects of 12-week inspiratory muscle training with low resistance in patients with multiple sclerosis: A non-randomised, double-blind, controlled trial. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2020 Nov;46:102574. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2020.102574. Epub 2020 Oct 8.

    PubMed 33296972
  • Huang MH, Fry D, Doyle L, Burnham A, Houston N, Shea K, Smith H, Wiske L, Goode J, Khitrik E, Kolanda M. Effects of inspiratory muscle training in advanced multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2020 Jan;37:101492. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2019.101492. Epub 2019 Nov 1.

    PubMed 31707233
  • Inzelberg R, Peleg N, Nisipeanu P, Magadle R, Carasso RL, Weiner P. Inspiratory muscle training and the perception of dyspnea in Parkinson's disease. Can J Neurol Sci. 2005 May;32(2):213-7. doi: 10.1017/s0317167100003991.

    PubMed 16018157
  • Duman Ozkan T, Oguz S, Unal E, Emir C, Polat MG. Effects of inspiratory muscle training on balance, trunk control, fear of falling, respiratory function, and quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2025 Nov;103:106699. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2025.106699. Epub 2025 Aug 18.

    PubMed 40848620

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Inspiratory Muscle Training and Balance Exercises in people with Multiple Sclerosis, run by Marmara University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

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 3 inclusion and 4 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 6 May 2025. 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 Turkey (Türkiye). 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?

Mini-BesTEST (time frame: Fifteen minutes). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT06075472, which also lists 4 linked publications.

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 6 May 2025.

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