Mental Rotation and Motor Imagery Training in Multiple Sclerosis

NCT07749690 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: AIBU-FTR-BENLI-010
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 54
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of sequential laterality, motor imagery, and mental rotation training in individuals with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Both groups received conventional physiotherapy, while the intervention group received structured cognitive-motor training and the control group received active visual-attention training.

Conditions

Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS)

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test

  The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test a widely used mental rotation tests, consists of 30 three-dimensional spatial perception questions.

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention.

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• The Symbol Digit Modalities Test

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention.

• Nine-Hole Peg Test

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention.

• Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention.

• Grip Strength

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention

• Abilhand

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention.

Study Arms (2)

Multicomponent rotation training

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants received 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy and 15 minutes of sequential laterality, motor imagery, and mental rotation training, three times per week for six weeks.

Other: Laterality, Motor Imagery, and Mental Rotation Training

Sham training

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participants received 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy and 15 minutes of active visual-attention training using neutral objects, colors, shapes, and symbols, three times per week for six weeks.

Other: Active Visual-Attention Control Training

Interventions

Laterality, Motor Imagery, and Mental Rotation Training OTHER

Participants received 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy followed by 15 minutes of structured training, three times per week for six weeks. The training progressed sequentially through laterality recognition, motor imagery, and mental rotation. Laterality training involved identifying right- and left-hand images. Motor imagery training involved imagining the hand positions and movements shown in the images without performing an observable movement. Mental rotation training involved mentally rotating figures and selecting the correct response.

Multicomponent rotation training

Active Visual-Attention Control Training OTHER

Participants received 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy followed by 15 minutes of active visual-attention control training, three times per week for six weeks. The training included images of neutral objects, colors, geometric shapes, and symbols that did not depict body parts. Participants classified the images according to color, shape, size, position, or similarity and difference.

Sham training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Diagnosed with definite relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis by a neurologist according to the revised McDonald criteria
• Not experiencing an acute MS relapse
• Mini Mental State Examination score ≥24
• No clinical MS relapse within the previous 3 months
• No corticosteroid treatment for an MS relapse within the previous 3 months
• Expanded Disability Status Scale score between 1.5 and 6.0
• Modified Ashworth Scale score ≤2
• Sufficient communication ability to understand visual and verbal instructions and follow the training protocol
• Able to attend at least 80% of the planned sessions
• Able to complete the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3

You may not qualify if:

• Any medication change within the previous 3 months
• Uncorrected severe visual or hearing impairment
• A communication disorder preventing the perception of or response to the visual and verbal stimuli used in the study
• Participation in another structured upper-extremity rehabilitation program or interventional study during the study period
• Presence of an additional neurological disorder
• Advanced sensory loss or proprioceptive impairment that could affect participation in the intervention
• Botulinum toxin injection within the previous 3 months

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Abant Izzet Baysal University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Health Science

Bolu, 14100, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Functional Laterality

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Dominance, Cerebral; Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Enes Tayyip Benli, phd

  Abant Izzet Baysal University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 30, 2026
• First Posted: August 6, 2026
• Study Start: February 15, 2024
• Primary Completion: January 15, 2026
• Study Completion: February 15, 2026
• Last Updated: August 6, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)