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Inductive Therapeutic Exercise in Multiple Sclerosis
Sponsor: Fundación San Juan De Dios
Summary
ETOTUR is a research project comprising two complementary stages. The first is an observational study in approximately 50 healthy adults to develop and validate a mobile tool for quantitative assessment of muscle tone using the pendulum test. Measurements obtained with the mobile tool will be compared with laboratory reference systems, and preliminary reference values will be established. The second stage, which is the focus of this clinical trial registration, is a pilot controlled study involving approximately 30 adults with multiple sclerosis and altered muscle tone and standing postural control. Participants will receive either Inductive Therapeutic Exercise (ETI, from the Spanish "Ejercicio Terapéutico Inductivo") or Sham Inductive Therapeutic Exercise (sham-ETI), a simulated intervention, with one individual session of approximately 40 minutes per week for 8 weeks. ETI combines specific active movements and breathing patterns intended to elicit involuntary neuromuscular responses in other body regions. Sham-ETI uses similar movements while omitting the principal movement and breathing components intended to produce induction. Participants will be assigned using a nonrandom sequential balancing procedure based on relevant baseline characteristics. Outcome assessment will be performed by a physiotherapist blinded to group allocation. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, immediately after the 8-week intervention, and approximately one month later. The main outcomes are lower-limb muscle tone assessed using the pendulum test, standing postural control measured with a pressure platform, and health-related quality of life assessed with the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 questionnaire (MSQoL-54). Adherence, tolerability, and intervention-related clinical incidents will also be recorded. The study will explore whether changes following ETI differ from those observed after sham-ETI and will provide preliminary information to support the design of subsequent confirmatory research.
Official title: Effects of Inductive Therapeutic Exercise on Muscle Tone, Postural Control, and Quality of Life in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
30
Start Date
2027-10
Completion Date
2028-07
Last Updated
2026-10-02
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Experimental: Inductive Therapeutic Exercise (ETI)
Physiotherapist-supervised exercise combining specific active limb movements with slow, deep breathing emphasizing expiration (approximately 5-6 breaths per minute), intended to elicit involuntary neuromuscular responses in other body regions. An upper-limb maneuver targets responses in the lower limbs, and a lower-limb maneuver targets responses in the opposite lower limb; both are performed bilaterally. Upper-limb maneuver selection follows the initial postural assessment: shoulder abduction with internal rotation for predominant thoracolumbar lateral flexion, or shoulder flexion with external rotation for a predominant rotational pattern. Treatment comprises eight weekly individual sessions of approximately 40 minutes. Maneuvers are stopped for excessive fatigue, intense pain, or inability to control induced responses.
Control: Sham Inductive Therapeutic Exercise (sham-ETI)
Physiotherapist-supervised simulated exercise resembling the Inductive Therapeutic Exercise (ETI, from the Spanish "Ejercicio Terapéutico Inductivo") maneuvers but performed without reaching the movement range intended to trigger involuntary neuromuscular responses. The therapist provides greater manual support, and the specific slow breathing pattern emphasizing expiration used in ETI is not applied. The intervention comprises eight weekly individual sessions of approximately 40 minutes, matching the experimental intervention in session frequency, duration, and individual therapist contact. The same criteria for stopping maneuvers apply as in the ETI intervention.
Locations (2)
Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería y Fisioterapia San Juan de Dios - Universidad Pontificia Comillas
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Hospital Universitario San Rafael
Madrid, Madrid, Spain