How people with mild multiple sclerosis adapt their walking to obstacles
Compares walking adaptation in adults with early multiple sclerosis and healthy adults.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Gait Adaptability in Persons With MS Having Mild Disability
Key facts
- Where
- Diepenbeek, BelgiumSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 65 years old?
Source: NCT07580820, who can take part
Where in Belgium
- REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, University of HasseltDiepenbeek, BelgiumTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Hasselt University
- Trial code
- NCT07580820
- Record updated
- 12 May 2026
- Original description
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system that frequently leads to walking impairment, balance deficits, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and an increased risk of falls. Importantly, these problems can already be present in the early stages of the disease and may not be adequately captured by standard clinical walking tests, which primarily assess speed or distance. Such tests are often insufficient to reflect the complexity of real-life walking, which requires continuous adaptation to environmental challenges, and attention to internal and external stimuli.Read full original descriptionShow less
Multidimensional Assessment of Gait Adaptability in Persons Multiple Sclerosis With no to Mild Disability
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system that frequently leads to walking impairment, balance deficits, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and an increased risk of falls. Importantly, these problems can already be present in the early stages of the disease and may not be adequately captured by standard clinical walking tests, which primarily assess speed or distance. Such tests are often insufficient to reflect the complexity of real-life walking, which requires continuous adaptation to environmental challenges, and attention to internal and external stimuli.
Gait adaptability, the ability to modify walking patterns in response to changing and unpredictable demands such as obstacles or sudden perturbations, is critical for safe mobility and fall prevention. Both proactive (anticipatory) and reactive (feedback-driven) gait adaptations are essential for maintaining balance and functional independence. However, gait adaptability and its underlying neural mechanisms remain insufficiently understood in people with MS.
This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of gait adaptability in people with MS by evaluating both proactive and reactive gait adaptations using objective gait measurements and cortical activity recordings. The findings may contribute to the development of more sensitive outcome measures and inform targeted rehabilitation strategies that better reflect real-life mobility demands.
Primary aims:
• To investigate the behavioral measures and neural correlates of reactive and proactive gait adaptability in pwMS compared to HC
Secondary aims:
* To investigate factors related to gait adaptability * To investigate changes in gait adaptability during prolonged walking conditions
Inclusion: Age between 18-65 years,; confirmed diagnosis of definite MS,; relapse free at least 30 days,; Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score between 0 and 3.5.
Exclusion: Diagnosed with neurological disease other than MS; cognitive decline that renders the patient incapable of performing tests and questionnaires; Other neurological, orthopedic, or visual impairments affecting gait.