An Analysis of Functional Status in Multiple Sclerosis Patients after Progressive Non-Aerobic High-Intensity Maximal Effort Exercise (MEE)

Background : Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease with a wide-ranging impact on functional status. MS patient function has been assessed using Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite Score (MSFCS). The MSFCS includes the standardized scores (Z-score) of three functional tests: the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT-3”) for cognitive function, 9-Hole Peg Test (9-HPT) for upper extremity function, and timed 25-foot walk (25-TW) for lower extremity function. One of the most common symptoms experienced by MS patients is severe fatigue, often brought on suddenly by aerobic exercise. Non-aerobic maximal effort exercise (MEE) is thought to increase strength without increasing fatigue. The IsoPUMP® (Neuromuscular Engineering; Nashville, TN) is a stationary exercise device designed for patient use to safely perform MEE leg presses and whole body lunges using isometric and eccentric exercises. The progressive functional changes of the MS patients were tracked using the MSFCs at specific intervals during the study.