Telerehabilitation effective in improving MS symptoms in patients with moderate disability

In a randomised controlled study, rehabilitation was effective in improving the perception of fatigue, cognition, balance, and quality of life in MS patients with moderate disability. There were no significant differences between telerehabilitation and on-site rehabilitation, suggesting that telerehabilitation is a valid approach in this population.

Dr Maria Petracca (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) and colleagues set up a single-centre, randomised-controlled study to evaluate the impact of telerehabilitation and on-site rehabilitation, both of 6 weeks duration, in MS patients with a baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score between 2.0 and 6.5 [1]. Clinical evaluation at baseline and after 6 weeks included Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 (MSQOL-54), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Both telerehabilitation and on-site rehabilitation consisted of 18 one-on-one sessions of 45 minutes each. Telerehabilitation sessions were interactive, with whole-body view, via video conference. Each intervention was tailored to the specific needs of the patient. Primary outcomes were longitudinal changes in the aforementioned clinical measures.

The final study population counted 51 participants; 37 were women, mean age was 46.3 years, and median EDSS score was 3.5. In both the telerehabilitation (n=25) and on-site rehabilitation (n=26) group, significant improvements (P<0.01) were observed in all explored outcomes, with no significant between-group differences. For example, the mean MSQOL-54 improved from 54.87 to 60.32 in the on-site rehabilitation group, and from 61.93 to 64.62 in the telerehabilitation group. The mean FSS improved from 5.00 to 4.04 in the on-site rehabilitation group, and from 4.50 to 3.84 in the telerehabilitation group. Among clinical/demographic features, only baseline FSS, BBS, and SDMT scores significantly predicted the respective outcome measure change over time (P<0.01). “Patients with less favourable baseline scores generally experienced less benefit in the tested domains,” Dr Petracca clarified. She concluded that these results validate the telerehabilitation approach in MS patients with moderate disability.

1. Petracca M, et al. Effectiveness of telerehabilitation vs on-site rehabilitation on disability, fatigue and quality of life in multiple sclerosis: a randomized clinical trial. O087, MSMilan 2023, 11–13 October, Milan, Italy.

 

Copyright ©2023 Medicom Medical Publishers



Posted on 4 December, 20234 December, 2023