Multiple SclerosisNCT04496531
Efficacy of PoNS in Reducing Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
A study testing Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator in people with Multiple Sclerosis, run by Helius Medical Inc.
Trial summary
The purpose of this pilot study is to determine whether a program involving both in-lab and at-home training using cranial nerve stimulation (CN-NINM) delivered via the tongue can reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and improve movement control and therefore provide ground work for a controlled clinical trial. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 28 to 62 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Multiple Sclerosis
- What is being tested?
- Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 14 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Dec 2014to Aug 2016
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 28 to 62 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Relapsing/remitting or secondary progressive MS with balance and gait problems;
- Recent EDSS score of 3.0 - 6.0;
- Provided informed consent and willing to participate
Who cannot join
- Use of tobacco products;
- Oral health problems including abrasions, cuts, cold sores, piercings, or tissue inflammation in the oral cavity;
- Baseline EDSS >6.
About this study
Official title: Examining the Efficacy of Non-invasive Neuromodulation in Reducing Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis - a Pilot Study
The purpose of this pilot study is to determine whether a program involving both in-lab and at-home training using cranial nerve stimulation (CN-NINM) delivered via the tongue can reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and improve movement control and therefore provide ground work for a controlled clinical trial. The effects of the stimulation will be measured using a variety of standardized tests of movement control and cognitive function, functional brain imaging, and MS-specific surveys of your quality of life.
Read the detailed description
Fourteen MS patients, seven each in an active and a sham stimulation group are expected to participate.
Participants will receive intensive physical therapy and working memory training for 14 weeks.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using motor imagery and working-memory tasks will be completed prior to and following therapy, as will be sensory organization tests (SOT), motor performance measures, and neuropsychological assessment.
Prior to the start of CN-NINM training, each participant will undergo baseline evaluations including structural and fMRI, balance tests (SOT), Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), neuropsychological assessment (Handedness; Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) Vocabulary and Matrix Reasoning; California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT)-11; D-Kefs Trails, Color/Word and Verbal Fluency; Tower of London Second Edition; Ruff 2 and 7; Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) Letter-Number sequencing, Coding and Symbol Search; Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT); Leonard Tapping; and Grooved Pegboard). In addition, the MS Impairment Scale, Fatigue Impact Scale, Cognitive Function Inventory for MS, and Beck Depression and Anxiety questionnaires will be completed.
- Conditions
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Being tested
- Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator
- Medical subject headings
- Multiple Sclerosis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Portable Neuromodulation StimulatorDevice
Also called PoNS
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Experimental | Active group members use a device providing perceivable electrical stimulation Receives: Device: Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator |
| Sham | Sham comparator | Group members use a device providing a non-perceivable stimulus Receives: Device: Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Dynamic Gait Index
Scores are based on a 4-point scale where: 3 = No gait dysfunction; 2 = Minimal impairment; 1 = Moderate impairment; and 0 = Severe impairment. The highest possible score was 24 points. Tasks include: Steady state walking; Walking with changing speeds; Walking with head turns both horizontally and vertically; Walking while stepping over and around obstacles; Pivoting while walking; and Stair climbing.
Measured: 14 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Aug 2020
- Study startDec 2014
- Primary completionAug 2016
- Study completionAug 2016
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Multiple SclerosisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Fourteen MS patients, seven each in an active and a sham stimulation group, participated. Participants received intensive physical therapy and working memory training for 14 weeks. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using motor imagery and working-memory tasks were completed prior to and following therapy, as were sensory organization tests (SOT), motor performance measures, and neuropsychological assessment.
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 14 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Helius Medical Inc
- Sponsor type
- Industry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Collaborators
- McGill University
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04496531
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- MS Pilot - Leonard, et al
- Status last verified
- Aug 2020
- First submitted
- 29 Jul 2020
- Last updated
- 5 Aug 2020
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Aug 2020. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Examining the Efficacy of Non-invasive Neuromodulation in Reducing Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis - a Pilot Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04496531
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MS Pilot - Leonard, et al
- Conditions
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 14 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Helius Medical IncIndustry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Collaborators
- McGill University
- Study start
- Dec 2014 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Aug 2016 (actual)
- Study completion
- Aug 2016 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 Aug 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this pilot study is to determine whether a program involving both in-lab and at-home training using cranial nerve stimulation (CN-NINM) delivered via the tongue can reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and improve movement control and therefore provide ground work for a controlled clinical trial. The effects of the stimulation will be measured using a variety of standardized tests of movement control and cognitive function, functional brain imaging, and MS-specific surveys of your quality of life.
Detailed description
Fourteen MS patients, seven each in an active and a sham stimulation group are expected to participate.
Participants will receive intensive physical therapy and working memory training for 14 weeks.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using motor imagery and working-memory tasks will be completed prior to and following therapy, as will be sensory organization tests (SOT), motor performance measures, and neuropsychological assessment.
Prior to the start of CN-NINM training, each participant will undergo baseline evaluations including structural and fMRI, balance tests (SOT), Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), neuropsychological assessment (Handedness; Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) Vocabulary and Matrix Reasoning; California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT)-11; D-Kefs Trails, Color/Word and Verbal Fluency; Tower of London Second Edition; Ruff 2 and 7; Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) Letter-Number sequencing, Coding and Symbol Search; Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT); Leonard Tapping; and Grooved Pegboard). In addition, the MS Impairment Scale, Fatigue Impact Scale, Cognitive Function Inventory for MS, and Beck Depression and Anxiety questionnaires will be completed.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, care provider, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Fourteen MS patients, seven each in an active and a sham stimulation group, participated. Participants received intensive physical therapy and working memory training for 14 weeks. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using motor imagery and working-memory tasks were completed prior to and following therapy, as were sensory organization tests (SOT), motor performance measures, and neuropsychological assessment.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Experimental | Device: Portable Neuromodulation StimulatorActive group members use a device providing perceivable electrical stimulation |
| Sham | Sham comparator | Device: Portable Neuromodulation StimulatorGroup members use a device providing a non-perceivable stimulus |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 28 to 62 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Relapsing/remitting or secondary progressive MS with balance and gait problems;
- Recent EDSS score of 3.0 - 6.0;
- Provided informed consent and willing to participate
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Use of tobacco products;
- Oral health problems including abrasions, cuts, cold sores, piercings, or tissue inflammation in the oral cavity;
- Baseline EDSS >6.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Portable Neuromodulation StimulatorAlso: PoNS | Device | Active, Sham |
Primary outcome
Dynamic Gait Index
Time frame: 14 weeks
Scores are based on a 4-point scale where: 3 = No gait dysfunction; 2 = Minimal impairment; 1 = Moderate impairment; and 0 = Severe impairment. The highest possible score was 24 points. Tasks include: Steady state walking; Walking with changing speeds; Walking with head turns both horizontally and vertically; Walking while stepping over and around obstacles; Pivoting while walking; and Stair climbing.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Aug 2020.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator in people with Multiple Sclerosis, run by Helius Medical Inc.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Aug 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Dynamic Gait Index (time frame: 14 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Aug 2020; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.