High-intensity Interval Training in Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Overview

Patients with spinal muscular atrophy who are wheelchair users often experience lower back - and gluteal pain, reduced sleep quality, constipation and reduced quality of life - symptoms that regular exercise could potentially alleviate. However, only very little research has been done on exercise for patients who are wheelchair users. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of cycle exercise on patients with spinal muscular atrophy.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disease affecting the motor neurons of the spinal cord that innervate the skeletal muscles, leading to progressive muscle atrophy and weakness. Consequently, many patients end up having to use a wheelchair from an early age. Besides the impaired motor function, patients with SMA can also experience a variety of symptoms associated with their disease, a sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity such as lower back and leg pain, obstipation, reduced sleep quality and impacted quality of life. Training can help alleviate these symptoms in patients with neuromuscular diseases. However, there isn´t any validated way for patients with SMA to train as of today. Research has shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been well tolerated among patients with SBMA, a disease resembling SMA with patients tolerating this form for training well. The aim of this study is to investigate:(1) if HIIT could be exercise modality in SMA patients (2) and to see what positive effects exercise has for their impaired motor function and related challenges. The investigators will test the participants at baseline, which will be followed by a 8-week control period. After the control period the participants will be tested again before the intervention period. During the intervention period the participants will have to train 5 times a week for 10 minutes. After the intervention period, there will be a final test day, where the final results will be compared with those from the baseline.

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

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