Neurophysiology of fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Repeatability and validity of neurophysiological measure of fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients
IRAS ID
155599
Contact name
Paula Ellison
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Northumbria
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
Fatigue is a disabling symptom experienced by over half of all people with multiple sclerosis and described as “a subjective lack of physical and/or mental energy that interferes with activities of daily life”. It is often referred to as “low-energy fatigue”, with the same level of fatigue experienced during performance of simple and complex motor tasks. The limited evidence that exists suggests that regions within the brain normally recruited for novel/complex tasks, show higher levels of activation during simple motor tasks in 'fatigued' people with multiple sclerosis. This suggests ‘fatigued’ people with multiple sclerosis require more drive from the brain, along with higher perceived levels of effort to perform simple motor tasks. The different levels of activation of the brain between high and low levels of fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis are poorly understood. This study is aimed at comparing measures of the responsiveness of the pathway between brain regions and muscles, both in the resting state and during muscle contraction. People with multiple sclerosis with high and low levels of fatigue and a group of healthy age-matched controls will be recruited. Our study will run over five visits, lasting 4-6 weeks. Gaining a greater understanding of the basis of fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis is an important first step in developing new treatments and testing the efficacy of interventions (such as exercise) for ameliorating this disabling fatiguing pathology.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/2290
Date of REC Opinion
19 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion