Research papers – physical activity and multiple sclerosis

Physical activity and multiple sclerosis

Paper: Effects of exercise in people with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Journal: Front Public Health, 2024; 10:12.  

Description: Forty studies with a total of 56 exercise groups (1,300 participants) and 40 control groups (827 participants) were included in this analysis. The findings showed that exercise leads to improvements in balance, walking ability, walking endurance, fatigue, and quality of life in people with MS. Resistance based exercise was found to be most effective intervention for fatigue, and aerobic exercise was best for improving quality of life.  

Paper: The effect of aerobic exercise on Neurofilament light chain and glial Fibrillary acidic protein level in patients with relapsing remitting type multiple sclerosis

Journal: Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2021; 55:103219 

Description: In this randomized controlled trial, 38 participants with relapsing remitting MS were randomized to either the intervention group (3 aerobic activity sessions per week for 8 weeks, plus home exercises) or the control group (home exercises 3 times per week for 8 weeks). The aim of the study was to investigate levels of serum Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) and Neurofilament Light Chain (NFL) after the aerobic exercise. These are both markers of neuronal damage. The results showed that there were statistically significant reductions in both serum GFAP and NFL levels after aerobic exercise.  

 Paper: Rehabilitation for people with multiple sclerosis: an overview of Cochrane Reviews 

Journal: Cochrane Database Systematic Reviews, 2019; 14:1 

Description: This review looked at the data from 164 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and four controlled clinical trials involving 10,396 participants. The studies all looked at rehabilitation approaches for people with MS, including physical activity. Exercise and physical activity interventions were found to improve mobility and muscular strength, reduce fatigue, and improve quality of life.  

 Paper: Exercise therapy for fatigue in multiple sclerosis

Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015; 9 

Description: This review looked at the data from 45 randomized controlled trials including 2250 people with MS. The exercise interventions included endurance training, muscle power training, task-oriented training, mixed training, and other physical activities such as yoga. The review found that physical activity for people with MS is safe (no significant risk of relapse) and that it is beneficial for self-reported fatigue.  

Paper: Functional and/or structural brain changes in response to resistance exercises and resistance training lead to cognitive improvements – a systematic review

Journal: Eur Rev Aging Phys Act. 2019, 10;16:10 

Description: This review of 18 studies found that resistance exercises and resistance training led to functional brain changes, particularly in the frontal lobe. The changes were accompanied by improvements in scores related to executive functioning. Resistance training also led to lower “white matter atrophy” (damage in the white matter of the brain) and smaller “white matter lesion volumes” (spots of damage in the white matter of the brain). The authors state that the findings are based on a relatively small number of studies and that further research needs to be carried out to confirm the findings.  

Paper: The effect of therapeutic exercise on depressive symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis – A systematic review

Journal: Mult Scler Relat Disord, 2022;68:104407 

Description: This review looked at the data from nine randomized controlled trials. The authors concluded that robotic gait training (where a device is used to support the person’s bodyweight) and aerobic exercise can improve depressive symptoms in people with MS “to a considerable extent.” 

Paper: The impact of physical exercise on the fatigue symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis 

Journal: BMC Neurol. 2020, 13;20:93 

Description: This study pooled the data from 31 clinical trials including 1434 participants. The results showed that physical exercise significantly reduces fatigue in people with MS. The authors recommend that a regular exercise program should be included as part of standard rehabilitation for people with MS.   

Paper: Exercise therapy and multiple sclerosis: a systematic review

Journal: J Neurol. 2014, 261;9:1651-61. 

Description: This review looked at 11 studies including 591 participants. Nine of the 11 included studies were judged to be high quality. The review found that exercise therapy can be beneficial for people with MS and is recommended as part of rehabilitation.   

Paper: Effect of exercise training on walking mobility in multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis 

Journal: Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2009, 23;2:108-16 

Description: This study pooled the data from 22 studies with 600 participants. The data shows that exercise training is “associated with a small improvement in walking mobility among individuals with multiple sclerosis”.