Project
We are doing a series of research projects to help people with MS live the lives of their choosing to the best of their potential. Our projects to date have looked at physiotherapy and exercise programmes, technology in rehabilitation, falls prevention and increasing physical activity. In collaboration with MS Ireland and their members, we design and evaluate programmes that aim to lessen the impact of symptoms, and improve overall well being for people living in the community with MS.
Our research found that most people with MS have little access to programmes to improve symptoms of MS such as walking and balance, fatigue, low mood and thinking and memory. We aim to create robust evidence of the effectiveness of treatments and use this knowledge to help clinicians working with people with MS to deliver the best treatment at the right time. Our projects mean that people with MS can take part in programmes that aren’t available currently through the health service.
We are working in partnership with MS Ireland to develop treatments and programmes for people with MS that are based on their needs. In the past these have predominantly been exercise and physiotherapy based and we are now working with other specialists in neurology, psychology, technology, sports science, business and occupational therapy to develop and evaluate evidence based programmes and resources. The involvement of people with MS in designing, running and evaluating our programmes is of great importance to us. We work in collaboration with top international MS Researchers from the USA, Canada and Europe.
Our projects have been funded by MS Ireland, the Health Research Board and the Irish Research Council. We have published many papers that have shown beneficial effects of a range of treatments. The largest and most successful project to date has been “Getting the Balance Right”. This national exercise and physiotherapy project enabled over 1600 people to take part in exercise programmes. Over 500 people took part in the research part of the project, and we were able to demonstrate significant benefits of the programmes for many MS symptoms. The Getting the Balance Right programme now forms the basis of MS Irelands physiotherapy service.
Research
The “Step it Up” project aims to evaluate the effect of exercise and education programmes on a range of MS symptoms. This HRB funded double blind, randomised, controlled trial will compare the effect of adding a social cognitive theory based education programme to a 10 week exercise programme for inactive people with mild MS.
There is significant evidence that exercise is beneficial, however we have little information as to how we can ensure long term exercise habits are adopted and maintained by people with MS. This intervention combines exercise and psychological theory and aims to foster long term physical activity behaviour in people with MS
Over 60 people with MS have taken part in a research study where they were randomised to exercise and education, or exercise and a placebo education session. Measures of walking, physical activity, MS symptoms and social cognitive theory domains were taken at baseline, after treatment and at three and six months follow up.
