Lessons learned from clinical trials of exercise and physical activity in people with MS – guidance for improving the quality of future research

The body of research on exercise and physical activity among persons with multiple sclerosis(MS) has expanded rapidly in quantity, but not necessarily quality, over the past 20+ years. There is evidence for beneficial effects of exercise and physical activity on immune cells and neurotrophic factors, brain structure and function, walking and cognitive performance, fatigue, depression, and pain, and quality of life among persons with MS. Nevertheless, there is heterogeneity in the outcomes of exercise and physical activity, and a recognition of substantial challenges for improving the effectiveness of those behaviors in MS. To move the field forward, members of the National MS Society physical wellness research working-group pooled collective experiences for identifying challenges, logistic complexities, and opportunities for researchers in designing and conducting interventions of exercise and physical activity among persons with MS. We examined the scope of our experiences and identified collective “lessons learned” regarding the behaviors themselves; study design features and stage of research; study setting, safety, and sample selection; and implementation of randomized controlled trials(RCTs) and treatment fidelity. This paper provides a resource that can inform researchers, particularly new investigators or established investigators transitioning into MS, on conducting high-quality RCTs on exercise and physical activity in MS.