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Vibration Training Improves Disability Status Among Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis: 1477 Board #130 June 2, 9: 00 AM - 10: 30 AM.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a progressive neurological disease affecting more than 570,000 Americans, and is among the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults. Controlled whole-body vibration (CWBV) training has been recently used to improve functional mobility among older adults and individuals with movement disorders, primarily due to its attractive features, such as safe, portable, and easy to operate, etc. However, it remains undetermined if and to what degree CWBV training can improve the disability level among individuals affected by MS. PURPOSE: To examine the effect of a vibration training program on reducing the disability level of people with MS. METHODS: Twenty adults affected by MS (mean ± SD age: 52.0 ± 14.3 y/o, disease duration: 16.1 ± 11.5 y; 14 females) participated in a vibration training course on a sidealternating vibration platform. They received the training 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Each training session included 5 repetitions of 1-min vibration exposure followed by a 1min seated rest. The vibration frequency and amplitude were 20 Hz and 3.2 mm, respectively. The level of disability was assessed before and after the 8-week training using the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) z-score and the Patient Determined Disability Step (PDDS) score. Paired t-tests were used to compare both scores between preand post-training assessments in order to determine the possible training-induced changes. RESULTS: Participants’ PDDS score reduced significantly from 3.68 ± 1.91 for the pre-training to 3.10 ± 2.03 for the post-training assessments (p < 0.05). MSFC z-score was also significantly increased following the vibration training (pre: 0.00 ± 0.59 vs. post: 0.32 ± 0.69; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that an 8-week CWBV training course reduced the disability level in individuals with MS by improving their PDDS and MSFC scores. CWBV training appears to be a promising alterative treatment for reducing the level of disability among people affected by MS, and may have implications for improved quality of life and delayed progression of the disease. Further studies based on a randomized controlled design are needed. Supported by NMSS Grant PP-3385 (to FY).