Aerobic Training Effects on Motor and Cognitive Performances in MS: an Exploratory Study With Structural and Functional MRI

Treatment tested

• Aerobic training compared to conventional motor training

Other measures (4)

Inclusion criteria (All) * Age between 18 and 65 years; * Native italian language speaking; * Right-handed; * No particular motor skills; * No additional neurologic, psychiatric, orthopaedic or rheumatologic diseases; * Normal or corrected-to-normal vision; * No contraindications to MRI; * Ability to understand the purpose of the study and provide signed informed consent. For MS patients, the following additional inclusion criteria will be applied: * Patients with a diagnosis of MS, regardless of sex, duration and course of the disease; * EDSS score ranging from 0 to 6.0 (included); * Stable treatment for MS from at least 1 month prior to study enrolment; * Relapse- and steroid-free from at least 3 months before screening visit; * An indication to perform a physiotherapy treatment by the treating physician. Exclusion Criteria: * Persons who perform regularly a structured training; * Patients who performed a physiotherapy treatment for at least 3 months; * Concomitant therapy with antidepressant, baclofen, psychoactive, and steroids drugs as well as symptomatic treatment for fatigue; * History of alcohol or substance abuse; * Pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Aerobic training (AT) induces cardiovascular, metabolic and muscular changes and has been proposed as a promising rehabilitative approach in elderly adults and in neurological patients to improve both motor and cognitive performances. The Investigators wish to explore the role of AT in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on physical and neuropsychological functions and its underlying anatomical and functional substrates, using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods. In this project, the Investigators wish to apply aerobic training in right-handed MS patients and healthy controls to assess: 1. the effects of aerobic training compared to conventional motor training on motor and cardio-vascular parameters; 2. the effect of aerobic training compared to conventional motor training on cognitive performance, depression and fatigue; 3. the modifications of functional activations during a cognitive task and of functional connectivity in motor and cognitive networks during resting state following aerobic training and conventional motor training (functional plasticity); 4. the regional variations of gray matter (GM) volumes and white matter (WM) architecture after aerobic training and conventional motor training (structural plasticity); 5. the correlations between the changes detected with structural and functional MRI and clinical, motor and neuropsychological scales.