# Evaluation of a Spasticity Management Program for People with Multiple Sclerosis

> **NIH VA I01** · PORTLAND VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · —

## Abstract

The purpose of this proposal is to evaluate a new multiple sclerosis (MS) spasticity education and stretching
program called MS Spasticity: Take Control (STC) in a fully powered, randomized, controlled trial for benefit
after one month (short-term) of home stretching practice and sustainability of benefit after six months (medium-
term) of home stretching practice. Important first steps are complete: 1) the Spasticity and MS Clinical Practice
Guideline has been developed; 2) the proposed PI has created a self-management program, STC, for MS-
related spasticity that includes two DVDs MS Spasticity: Take Control (with educational information) and MS
Spasticity: Take Control of Lower Extremity Stretching (with standardized stretching instructions) and
companion reference manuals, and 3) the program has been tested in 40 subjects with MS and spasticity. STC
demonstrated initial efficacy as well as feasibility, acceptance and rapid enrollment with satisfaction reported
by participants. In the present study, eligible subjects in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington will be
randomly assigned 1:1 to STC or usual care (UC). STC subjects will attend two in-person group sessions with
the PI and the study coordinator to view and discuss information presented in both DVDs at the first session
and practice all the stretches in the second session with the goal of finding a set of exercises for daily
stretching for their home practice for the following six months. UC subjects will not attend classes but, instead,
will be given a copy of the NMSS stretching brochure to use in their home practice without instruction or group
support. The primary endpoint outcome measures will be collected after the classes for the STC group and one
month of home practice. The same outcome measures will be collected after six months of home practice for
the secondary endpoint when subjects will exit the study. Both groups will start their home practice within two
weeks of each other, within two months of baseline data collection and be provided the same diaries to track
their home stretching and other exercise participation. The primary outcome measure is the MS Spasticity
Scale 88. Secondary outcome measures are the Numeric Rating Scale for Spasticity and the National Institute
of Health (NIH) Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) collection that
specifically assess fatigue, sleep, physical function, self-efficacy, social participation, social satisfaction and
perception of global health from their online collection of patient-reported health status inventories and
outcome measures with the novel capability of administering computerized adaptive tests (CATs). CATs adapt
to the individual by selecting subsequent questions based on participants’ prior responses reducing the length
of the tests and therefore each test takes approximately one to two minutes to complete. The NIH recommends
using these outcome measures to accelerate discovery by making s...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9836653
- **Project number:** 5I01RX002507-03
- **Recipient organization:** PORTLAND VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Lucinda L Hugos
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-01-01 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9836653

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9836653, Evaluation of a Spasticity Management Program for People with Multiple Sclerosis (5I01RX002507-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9836653. Licensed CC0.

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