NCT07174973Recruiting
Innovative Approaches to Enhance Balance and Neuroplasticity in Multiple Sclerosis
Innovative Approaches to Enhance Balance and Neuroplasticity in Multiple Sclerosis: Evaluating the Combined Effects of Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation, Functional Electrical Stimulation, and Visual Feedback Balance Training
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 16 Mar 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
This study will evaluate the effects of combining balance training with electrical stimulation techniques in individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS commonly impairs leg strength, coordination, and balance, increasing the risk of falls and reducing independence. The interventions include:Balance training only, Balance training with Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), and Balance training with FES and Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation (TSCS). FES delivers small electrical pulses to leg muscles, while TSCS delivers electrical signals through the skin to stimulate the spinal cord and enhance motor control. The study will enroll up to 24 participants over a 3-year period. This trial is funded by MS Canada. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) balance training only, (2) balance training with FES, or (3) balance training with FES and TSCS. All participants will complete 12 supervised training sessions over 6 weeks. During each session, participants will engage in interactive balance games while standing in a safety harness.Outcome assessments will be conducted at three time points: baseline (prior to training), post-intervention (after 6 weeks), and follow-up (8 weeks after training). Assessments will include: * Clinical tests of mobility and balance (Timed Up and Go:TUG, 10-Meter Walk Test:10MWT, Berg Balance Scale:BBS) * Computerized balance testing using a force plate * Questionnaires on walking ability, fear of falling, and balance confidence * Neurophysiological measures of brain-spinal cord-muscle communication before and after training
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 24 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 1 Aug 2025
- Start date
- Dec 2025
- Primary completion date
- Sept 2028
- Lead sponsor
- University Health Network, Toronto
- Diseases
- Multiple sclerosis
- NCT number
- NCT07174973
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 24
- From Dec 2025 to the primary completion date, Sept 2028
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Concurrent neurological or orthopedic conditions affecting balance
- Recent participation in rehabilitation therapies (physical therapy, occupational therapy, or vestibular therapy) within one month prior to recruitment
Other illness
- Cognitive impairment affecting comprehension of instructions or completion of self-administered outcome measures
- Contraindications to electrical stimulation, including:implanted electronic device, active cancer or radiation treatment within the past 6 months, uncontrolled epilepsy, skin rash or open wound at electrode site, pregnancy, active deep vein thrombosis
Other
- Participants will be excluded if they present with any of the following:
- Uncorrected visual problems
- Ongoing MS exacerbation or paroxysmal vertigo
- Planned or recent injection of botulinum toxin to the legs during the intervention period
- Peripheral nerve damage affecting the legs
Criteria the registry did not label
- Participants will be eligible if they meet the following conditions:
- Confirmed diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) according to the revised McDonald criteria
- Age ≤ 65 years
- Ability to walk at least 100 meters, with or without an assistive device, and without requiring rest
- Self-reported perception of impaired balance during standing or walking in daily activities
Age in the registry: 18 years to 65 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-Lyndhurst Center Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Toronto | Canada | Recruiting |
Related publications
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.