Can an online wellness course ease the crushing fatigue of progressive MS?
NCT ID NCT07831928
First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026
Summary
Researchers at the University of Iowa are testing whether an online wellness program can reduce fatigue and improve mood and quality of life in people aged 45 to 70 with progressive multiple sclerosis. Participants are randomly assigned to get the program right away or to continue their usual care and receive it after six months. The program includes self-paced lessons on nutrition, stress management, and exercise, plus group coaching calls and an online exercise platform. Everyone completes surveys at the start, three months, and six months to track fatigue, anxiety, depression, and quality of life.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- An online wellness course with self-paced education modules, group coaching calls, and an online exercise platform
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could give people with progressive MS a low-cost, at-home way to manage fatigue and mood without adding clinic visits.
- What could go wrong
- This is a behavioral study, not a drug trial, so results depend on how faithfully participants use the program. Online programs often show modest benefits, and improvements may fade once support ends.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 118 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Nov 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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45 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Definitive diagnosis of Primary Progressive MS (PPMS) or Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS) based on the 2024 revised McDonald Criteria and confirmed by the treating neurologist who also approves participation. 2. Age 45 to 70 at the time of consent. 3. Must be fluent in both speaking and reading English. \*Study participant must be able to read and comprehend informed consent document and speak with study staff about study document content. Study staff will use discretion in determining whether the study participant can clearly communicate with staff and comprehend the study material during the consent call or prior to the call. 4. Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score of greater than or equal to 4. 5. Ability to prepare, or availability of someone in the household to prepare, home-cooked meals. 6. Willingness to commit to the study diet, 4-7-8 breathing technique, and a structured exercise program. 7. Access to high-speed internet with ownership of a device that can access the online programming and is capable of audio/video streaming. 8. Completion of online surveys at Month 0 (baseline), Month 3, \& Month 6. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Confirmation of taking insulin or coumadin. 2. Documentation of relapse during the prior 4 weeks. 3. Use of corticosteroids during the prior 4 weeks. 4. Change or initiation of Disease Modifying Treatment (DMT) during the prior 4 weeks. 5. Treatment for cancer by radiation or chemotherapy within the prior 12 months. 6. Diagnosis of clinically significant heart, liver, or kidney disease, or history of oxalate kidney stones. 7. Clinical diagnosis of psychiatric disease making study adherence difficult (e.g., schizophrenia) or an active eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, orthorexia). 8. Measurement of Body Mass Index (BMI) \< 19. 9. Initiation of or change in medication to treat mood disorders in the prior 12 weeks. 10. Documentation of moderate or severe mental impairment (greater than or equal to 5 errors) as measured by the validated Short Portable Mental Health Questionnaire (SPMHQ).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UI Health Care
Iowa City, Iowa, 52242., United States
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