Next-generation Motor Tests to Detect Silent Multiple Sclerosis-related Progression

Start Term
End Term
Funding Amount
$299,030
Affiliation(s)
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Geographic Region(s) / Province(s)
Newfoundland and Labrador
Researcher(s)
Dr. Michelle Ploughman
Research Priorities
Progressive MS
Impact Goal(s)
Advance Treatment and Care

Summary: 

  • Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience symptoms in the early stages of disease, such as balance impairment, that are not measurable by current tools. This is known as the ‘subclinical’ period, where silent changes in the brain are occurring but they are not detected by neurologists.
  • Dr. Michelle Ploughman and team will develop novel ‘high-challenge’ motor tests using electronics and robotics to assess balance, agility, and upper limb function in people with MS who obtain normal scores on standard motor tests. The team will determine if there are differences in performance between people with subclinical MS compared to controls, and whether these differences are linked to changes in neurological function.
  • This research will inform the development of more sensitive tools that can be used to detect neurodegeneration in the early stages of MS and help find ways to prevent it. 

 

Project Description: 

In the first few years after diagnosis, many people with MS experience symptoms that are not measurable by current available tools including impairments with balance or coordination. This is known as the ‘subclinical’ period, where changes in the brain are occurring but is compensated for by a person’s brain reserve (the brain’s ability to overcome injury and maintain cognitive function). At some point in time, the person’s central nervous system can no longer compensate, and measurable motor impairment appears. New treatments that target the subclinical period of MS could enhance brain repair and prevent future disability, but we first need to find ways to accurately measure these very early symptoms. 

Dr. Michelle Ploughman and team will develop and test a new set of ‘high-challenge’ motor tests measuring balance, agility, and upper limb function using sophisticated electronics and robotics. The team will conduct two annual in-depth assessments of a group of people with MS, with normal scores on standard motor tests, and a group of age and sex-matched people without MS. The objectives of this study are to: 1) determine differences in performance on the high-challenge motor tests between people with subclinical MS compared to controls, and 2) evaluate whether differences in performance are linked to changes in neurological function.

 

Potential Impact: 

This research will determine if a new set of high-challenge motor tests are capable of detecting neurodegeneration in the early stages of MS. The findings of this study will also inform the development of more sensitive tools that can be used to assess the effects of new MS treatments to prevent symptoms during the subclinical period. 

 

Project Status: In Progress