Effect of Visually-Guided Gait Training on Balance, Mobility and Risk of Falling in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

NCT07233044 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: P.T.REC/012/005505
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to assess both immediate and long-term effects of visually-guided gait training on balance, mobility, and risk of falling in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Conditions

Multiple Sclerosis

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Dynamic Balance Performance (%):

  The percentage score representing how accurately the participant maintained the red spot path within the designated frame during the dynamic balance test. A higher percentage indicates better balance control and greater stability.

  8 weeks and follow up after 4 weeks.

• Front Average Deviation

  The mean displacement of the participant's center of pressure (COP) in the forward (anterior) direction.

  8 weeks and follow up after 4 weeks

• Back Average Deviation

  The mean displacement of the participant's center of pressure (COP) in the backward (posterior) direction.

  8 weeks and follow up after 4 weeks

• Right Average Deviation

  The mean displacement of the participant's center of pressure (COP) in the right (lateral) direction.

  8 weeks and follow up after 4 weeks

• Left Average Deviation

  The mean displacement of the participant's center of pressure (COP) in the left (lateral) direction.

  8 weeks and follow up after 4 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• The Four-Square Step Test (FSST)

  8 weeks and follow up after 4 weeks

• The Ten-Meter Walk Test (10MWT)

  8 weeks and follow up after 4 weeks

• Arabic version of Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I)

  8 weeks and follow up after 4 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Visually-guided gait training + Conventional gait training

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will consist of twenty patients, who will receive visually-guided gait training and conventional gait training for 8 weeks.

Other: Visually-guided gait training; Other: Conventional gait training

Conventional gait training

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This group will consist of twenty patients, who will receive conventional gait training only for 8 weeks.

Other: Conventional gait training

Interventions

Visually-guided gait training OTHER

The program runs for eight weeks, with two 60-minute sessions per week, integrating gaze strategy, task-specific mobility, and dual-task cognitive training. Participants first learn systematic visual scanning using saccades and gridline searches. In task-specific training, they perform precision walking-stepping accurately on targets-and obstacle avoidance, navigating a 6 m path with variable pole positions to enhance visual-motor coordination. Finally, dual-task training adds cognitive challenges, such as word generation or backward counting, to improve attention, adaptability, and functional mobility.

Visually-guided gait training + Conventional gait training

Conventional gait training OTHER

It will be received for eight weeks, twice per week, each session lasting 30 minutes, consisting of standing and walking activities maintaining a stable base of support; static postural control exercises, weight shifting and perturbations exercises, weight-bearing exercises through lower limbs; and adequate weight transfer and forward progression with trunk, limb, and pelvic kinematics consistent with safe walking, walking forward and backward, side-stepping, standing and walking on varied surfaces.

Conventional gait training; Visually-guided gait training + Conventional gait training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Clinically definite MS (relapsing and remitting) patients who are stable for at least three months.
• Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of ≤ 4 (fully ambulatory, self-sufficient, and able to stand and walk without any aid or orthosis at least 500 meters) to minimize the impact of motor weakness interfering with their ability to perform the task.
• Normal or corrected to normal vision, wearing eyeglasses.
• The age will range from 20 - 45 years.
• All patients with MS were required to report subjective perceived imbalance or history of falls (in the last year)

You may not qualify if:

• Patients with any other neurological deficits or orthopedics abnormalities.
• Patients with secondary musculoskeletal complications such as fractures, contractures, or deformities.
• Patients with vision problems that impaired walking ability.
• Patients with severe cognitive impairment or psychological disorders impaired the ability to follow the procedures of the study.
• Patients with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
• Patients with serious unstable medical condition or Patients had an acute exacerbation of MS within last month.
• Pregnant women.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cairo University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Kafrelsheikh University Hospital

Kafr ash Shaykh, Egypt

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Multiple Sclerosis

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS; Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System; Nervous System Diseases; Demyelinating Diseases; Autoimmune Diseases; Immune System Diseases

Study Officials

• Abeer Abo Bakr, PhD

  Professor, Cairo university

  STUDY CHAIR

• Ibrahim Hamoda, PhD

  Assistant professor, Kafr Elsheikh univeristy

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 14, 2025
• First Posted: November 18, 2025
• Study Start: November 30, 2025
• Primary Completion: April 20, 2026
• Study Completion: April 30, 2026
• Last Updated: December 22, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

EG (1)