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Relapsing Remitting Multiple SclerosisFOOD_for_MSNCT05327322

Functional Outcomes From Diets in Multiple Sclerosis

A study testing Glycemic load, Calorie restriction and Behavioral support in people with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, run by University of Alabama at Birmingham at 2 sites in United States.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to test the effects of two dietary interventions, glycemic load and calorie restriction, on physical function, cognition, pain, fatigue, mood, and anxiety in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
What is being tested?
Glycemic load, Calorie restriction and Behavioral support
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
100 participants
Where
2 sitesUnited States
Study dates
20 Mar 2023to 1 Nov 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosed with RRMS or SPMS
  • BMI 25-50 kg/m2 (overweight/obese)
  • EDSS ≤6.5 (able to walk 100m with or without assistance)
  • If on disease-modifying treatment (DMT), stable for 6 months
  • If not on DMT, no DMT in previous 6 months
  • No expected change to DMT in next 34 weeks
  • Responsible for food preparation or have input into food preparation

Who cannot join

  • MS relapse in previous 30 days
  • Unable to walk 25 feet with or without assistive device
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Current use of insulin or sulfonylurea agents
  • Score indicating low cognitive functioning on the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) assessment
  • Actively engaged in a weight loss program or unwilling to follow assigned dietary pattern
  • Unable to receive, store, or prepare food according to diet plan
  • Medical contraindication to either treatment or control diet (including severe allergies that cannot be accommodated within either group)

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

United States2 sites
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham

    Birmingham, Alabama, 35294

  • Washington University

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: The Impact of Diet Quality and Calorie Restriction on Physical Function and Patient Reported Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis

The purpose of this study is to test the effects of two dietary interventions, glycemic load and calorie restriction, on physical function, cognition, pain, fatigue, mood, and anxiety in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). The investigators will also explore the how the diet interventions impact inflammation, immunity, and metabolic biomarkers.

Read the detailed description

100 participants will be randomized 1:1 to follow either a low glycemic load (GL) or standard GL diet for 32 weeks. For the first 16 weeks, all participants will eat enough calories to maintain their baseline weight. During the second 16 weeks, all participants will reduce calorie intake by 500kcal/day, with a goal of losing 5-10% of initial body weight. Participants will complete data collection at baseline (prior to randomization), at 17 weeks (after the weight stable phase) and again after completing the calorie restriction phase.

All participants will receive meal plans and groceries for the duration of the trial.

Being tested
Glycemic load, Calorie restriction, Behavioral support
Medical subject headings
Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Glycemic loadBehavioural

    Participants will be provided food to meet GL prescription for the duration of the trial.

  • Calorie restrictionBehavioural

    Participants will be provided food to meet their prescribed daily calorie intake for the duration of the trial (weight stable in first 16 weeks, weight loss in second 16 weeks).

  • Behavioral supportBehavioural

    All participants will receive behavioral supports in the form of email, text, information pages and weekly calls from the study staff to maximize adherence.

Study groups in NCT05327322
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Low Glycemic LoadExperimentalThis group will be prescribed a daily GL of <45 points/1000 kcal and 25% of daily calorie intake from carbohydrates. This group will be provided few processed foods. During the first 16 weeks, this group will eat enough calories to maintain baseline weight, and will reduce daily calorie intake by 500 kcal/day in the second 16 weeks.
Receives: Behavioral: Glycemic load; Behavioral: Calorie restriction; Behavioral: Behavioral support
Standard Glycemic LoadActive comparatorThis group will be prescribed a daily GL of >75 points/1000kcal and 60% of daily calorie intake from carbohydrates. This group will be provided more processed foods than the low GL group. During the first 16 weeks, this group will eat enough calories to maintain baseline weight, and will reduce daily calorie intake by 500 kcal/day in the second 16 weeks.
Receives: Behavioral: Glycemic load; Behavioral: Calorie restriction; Behavioral: Behavioral support

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC)

    The MSFC includes a timed T25FW, 9-hole peg test (9HPT), and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT).

    Measured: Baseline

  2. Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC)

    The MSFC includes a timed T25FW, 9-hole peg test (9HPT), and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT).

    Measured: 17 weeks

  3. Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC)

    The MSFC includes a timed T25FW, 9-hole peg test (9HPT), and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT).

    Measured: 34 weeks

Secondary outcomes (21)
  1. Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS)

    The BICAMS includes the Single Digit Modalities Test, California Verbal Learning Test, and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test

    Measured: Baseline

  2. Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS)

    The BICAMS includes the Single Digit Modalities Test, California Verbal Learning Test, and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test

    Measured: 17 weeks

  3. Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS)

    The BICAMS includes the Single Digit Modalities Test, California Verbal Learning Test, and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test

    Measured: 34 weeks

  4. Patient reported outcomes: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

    The HADS contains 14 items that measure the frequency of anxiety and depressive symptoms over the past week. The anxiety questions are scaled 0-3 with 0 representing higher anxiety to 3 representing no anxiety. The depression questions are scaled from 0 indicating no depression to 3 indicating more signs of depression.

    Measured: Baseline

  5. Patient reported outcomes: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

    The HADS contains 14 items that measure the frequency of anxiety and depressive symptoms over the past week. The anxiety questions are scaled 0-3 with 0 representing higher anxiety to 3 representing no anxiety. The depression questions are scaled from 0 indicating no depression to 3 indicating more signs of depression.

    Measured: 17 weeks

  6. Patient reported outcomes: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

    The HADS contains 14 items that measure the frequency of anxiety and depressive symptoms over the past week. The anxiety questions are scaled 0-3 with 0 representing higher anxiety to 3 representing no anxiety. The depression questions are scaled from 0 indicating no depression to 3 indicating more signs of depression.

    Measured: 34 Weeks

  7. Patient reported outcomes: Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS)

    The MFIS is a 21-item measure of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial impact of fatigue on daily life over the past 4 weeks. The scale ranges from 0 to 4 with 0 being never have issues regarding fatigue to 4 representing fatigue greatly affecting the participants life.

    Measured: Baseline

  8. Patient reported outcomes: Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS)

    The MFIS is a 21-item measure of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial impact of fatigue on daily life over the past 4 weeks. The scale ranges from 0 to 4 with 0 being never have issues regarding fatigue to 4 representing fatigue greatly affecting the participants life.

    Measured: 17 weeks

  9. Patient reported outcomes: Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS)

    The MFIS is a 21-item measure of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial impact of fatigue on daily life over the past 4 weeks. The scale ranges from 0 to 4 with 0 being never have issues regarding fatigue to 4 representing fatigue greatly affecting the participants life.

    Measured: 34 Weeks

  10. Patient reported outcomes: Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)

    The FSS is a 9-item unidimensional measure of fatigue and its disabling consequences over the past week in medical populations including MS. The score is from 1 to 7 with 1 representing strongly disagreeing that fatigue has an impact on them to 7 representing strongly agreeing fatigue has an impact on the participants.

    Measured: Baseline

  11. Patient reported outcomes: Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)

    The FSS is a 9-item unidimensional measure of fatigue and its disabling consequences over the past week in medical populations including MS. The score is from 1 to 7 with 1 representing strongly disagreeing that fatigue has an impact on them to 7 representing strongly agreeing fatigue has an impact on the participants.

    Measured: 17 weeks

  12. Patient reported outcomes: Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)

    The FSS is a 9-item unidimensional measure of fatigue and its disabling consequences over the past week in medical populations including MS. The score is from 1 to 7 with 1 representing strongly disagreeing that fatigue has an impact on them to 7 representing strongly agreeing fatigue has an impact on the participants.

    Measured: 34 Weeks

  13. Patient reported outcomes: Visual Analog Fatigue Scale (VAFS)

    The participants will be asked to rate their global fatigue on a scale of 0-10 with 0 being the worst fatigued and 10 being normal.

    Measured: Baseline

  14. Patient reported outcomes: Visual Analog Fatigue Scale (VAFS)

    The participants will be asked to rate their global fatigue on a scale of 0-10 with 0 being the worst fatigued and 10 being normal.

    Measured: 17 weeks

  15. Patient reported outcomes: Visual Analog Fatigue Scale (VAFS)

    The participants will be asked to rate their global fatigue on a scale of 0-10 with 0 being the worst fatigued and 10 being normal.

    Measured: 34 Weeks

  16. Patient reported outcomes: Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire Revised (SF-MPQ-2)

    The SF-MPQ has a 15-item adjective checklist that captures sensory and affective dimensions of pain experienced over the past week. Questions are scored from 0-10. Zero representing no pain and 10 representing the highest pain level.

    Measured: Baseline

  17. Patient reported outcomes: Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire Revised (SF-MPQ-2)

    The SF-MPQ has a 15-item adjective checklist that captures sensory and affective dimensions of pain experienced over the past week. Questions are scored from 0-10. Zero representing no pain and 10 representing the highest pain level.

    Measured: 17 weeks

  18. Patient reported outcomes: Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire Revised (SF-MPQ-2)

    The SF-MPQ has a 15-item adjective checklist that captures sensory and affective dimensions of pain experienced over the past week. Questions are scored from 0-10. Zero representing no pain and 10 representing the highest pain level.

    Measured: 34 Weeks

  19. Patient reported outcomes: Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

    The questionnaire has fill in the blank questions along with questions that are rated on a scale. The scale rating is "not during the past month" to "three or more times per week."

    Measured: Baseline

  20. Patient reported outcomes: Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

    The questionnaire has fill in the blank questions along with questions that are rated on a scale. The scale rating is "not during the past month" to "three or more times per week."

    Measured: 17 weeks

  21. Patient reported outcomes: Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

    The questionnaire has fill in the blank questions along with questions that are rated on a scale. The scale rating is "not during the past month" to "three or more times per week."

    Measured: 34 Weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted14 Apr 2022
  2. Study start20 Mar 2023
  3. Primary completion1 Nov 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Nov 2026 (estimated)

Resources

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
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Participants will be randomized to follow either a low GL or standard GL diet for 32 weeks. For the first 16 weeks, both groups will eat enough calories to maintain baseline weight. During the second 16 weeks, both groups will reduce calorie intake by 500 kcal/day,
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
100 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05327322
Sponsor's protocol ID
300009050
Other IDs
CDMRP-MS210011
Acronym
FOOD_for_MS
Status last verified
Mar 2026
First submitted
24 Mar 2022
Last updated
3 Apr 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Martin K, Cofield SS, Cross AH, Goss AM, Raji CA, Rinker JR, Wu GF, Blair J, Fuchs A, Ghezzi L, Green K, Pace F, Pastori G, Taylor MG, Piccio L, Wingo BC. Functional outcomes of diets in multiple sclerosis (FOOD for MS): Protocol for a parallel arm randomized feeding trial for low glycemic load and calorie restriction. Contemp Clin Trials. 2024 Aug;143:107584. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107584. Epub 2024 May 29.

    PubMed 38821260

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Glycemic load, Calorie restriction and Behavioral support in people with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, run by University of Alabama at Birmingham at 2 sites in United States.

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 7 inclusion and 8 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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?

Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05327322, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 3 Apr 2026.

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