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Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Project director: Dr. Nick Stergiou and Jessie Huisinga

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system that affects approximately 400,000 Americans and is the most common progressive neurological disease in young adults.  The disease generally attacks the myelin sheath that covers nerve cells.  Because nerves carry instruction from the brain to the muscles, damage to the myelin sheath leads to a breakdown in communication between the brain and the muscles regarding what movement is to be performed (i.e. raise arm) which leads to muscle weakness.  As a result of the miscommunication between the brain and muscles, people with MS have inconsistent movement patterns, poor balance, and a long list of possible other problems.  This disease varies in severity with some patients only experience mild muscle weakness while others may confined to a wheelchair.  Current treatment varies according to individual symptoms though medication and physical therapy are popular options.  It is currently not known what effect many exercise interventions may have on the disease state of MS patients.

It may be possible to improve the communication between the brain and the muscles by forcing them to communicate through resistance exercise.  The goal of the current study is to analyze the walking and balance capabilities of person’s with MS before and after performing resistance training program.  The participants in this study will visit the HPER gait lab for an initial test, then undergo a supervised training program for three months before returning for another gait analysis.  A further three months of training will then be performed prior to a final gait evaluation.  With this study, we will be able to the determine the effects of resistance training on functional movement (walking and balance) in persons with MS which may provide more direction for further treatment approaches for individual with MS. 

This study is funded by the MARS Foundation and clinical support and patient recruitment on this project is given by Dr. Mary Filipi, PhD of the UNMC College of Nursing.  Dr. Filipi is the primary investigator on this study since she initiated the project with the MARS Foundation and has extensive experience working with this clinical population.  Graduate student Jessie Huisinga is currently facilitating the gait analysis portion of this study.  Jessie received her BSE in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Iowa, her MS in Exercise Science from UNO, and is pursuing her doctorate through the MSIA program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.