Exercise and Neuroprotection in Older Persons With Multiple Sclerosis

Summary

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Description

Over the past 3-4 decades, the lifespan among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has increased substantially. Today more than one-third of all people with MS are 60 years or older. With advanced age, people with MS are more likely to have impairments in cognitive and physical function. Positive ada...

Over the past 3-4 decades, the lifespan among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has increased substantially. Today more than one-third of all people with MS are 60 years or older. With advanced age, people with MS are more likely to have impairments in cognitive and physical function. Positive adaptations within the nervous system (~neuroplasticity) have been shown to occur in people with MS following periods of resistance training (RT). This resembles the observations in young and old healthy individuals. Moreover, a specific type of RT termed power training appears to be particularly beneficial, as it emphasizes an explosive concentric phase of muscle contraction. This taxes the nervous system to a very high extent. As a result, power training has been shown to improve several aspects that rely on the nervous system in older individuals without MS. These aspects include cognition, neuromuscular function, and physical function. The investigators speculate that older people with MS would also benefit. However, no studies have looked into the effects of power training in older people with MS. Moreover, it is not known if the effects of power training are blunted, compared to healthy age- and gender-matched healthy individuals due to the marked neurodegeneration that characterizes older MS (transient/permanent damage to CNS).

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