An interventional study of Laughter Yoga in Multiple Sclerosis, sponsored by Firat University. Recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-13.
Sponsored by Firat University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the effects of laughter yoga on pain intensity, fatigue, and beta-endorphin levels in patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Laughter yoga, a complementary therapy combining breathing exercises and laughter techniques, may help improve symptom management and psychological well-being in individuals with MS.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, autoimmune, and demyelinating disease that generally affects the central nervous system in young adults. Multiple Sclerosis is a highly heterogeneous disease, with a wide range of clinical signs and symptoms depending on the area of the central nervous system affected, including motor, sensory, autonomic, and cognitive impairments. Multiple Sclerosis is associated with a broad spectrum of bodily dysfunctions, including motor problems such as muscle weakness, changes in muscle tone, ataxia, abnormal balance, and sensory disturbances. In addition, fatigue, pain, bladder and bowel dysfunction, cognitive and emotional problems, vision problems, speech and swallowing disorders, and sexual dysfunction also affect individuals with MS. Currently, there are 2.5 million MS patients worldwide, and the cost of treatment and care for these patients is quite high.
In addition to medical treatment, traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) methods are used in the treatment of pain and fatigue. Laughter Yoga, a type of yoga that has begun to be applied as a TCM method, was developed by Indian physician Dr. Developed by Madan Kataria in 1995, each laughter yoga session consists of breathing exercises, stretching and relaxation techniques, and laughter exercises. Physiologically, laughter yoga has been reported to increase breathing, relax muscles, stimulate circulation and the immune system, increase endorphin release, thereby increasing pain threshold and tolerance, reduce fatigue, decrease stress hormone levels, strengthen mental function, reduce depression and anxiety, improve sleep quality, and enhance interpersonal relationships and social interaction, thus improving psychological well-being. This research was planned as a randomized controlled experimental study to evaluate the effects of laughter yoga applied to Multiple Sclerosis patients on pain intensity, fatigue, and Beta Endorphin levels.
3,460 studies on the registry are indexed under Multiple Sclerosis; 661 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 72 is above the median of 50 across 2,342 interventional studies indexed under Multiple Sclerosis.
Browse Multiple Sclerosis studies →Firat University is the lead sponsor of 112 studies on the registry; 46 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Being over 18 years old
Exclusion Criteria:
Having severe cognitive impairment that prevents understanding or participation in the intervention
Having a psychiatric disorder that may affect participation in the study
Experiencing an acute MS relapse during the study period
Having another serious neurological or chronic disease that may affect the study outcomes
Regular participation in another complementary therapy program similar to laughter yoga
Communication problems that prevent participation in the intervention sessions
Patients with Multiple Sclerosis who will receive laughter yoga in addition to routine care.
Behavioral: Laughter Yoga
Patients with Multiple Sclerosis who will receive routine care without laughter yoga.
A complementary intervention including breathing exercises, stretching, relaxation techniques, and laughter exercises applied to patients with Multiple Sclerosis.
Change in pain intensity measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at [time point]
Pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a 10 cm scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Participants will indicate their pain level by marking on the scale, and the score will be determined by measuring the distance in centimeters or millimeters.
Time frame: Baseline and week 4
Fatigue Level
Fatigue severity will be assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), a 9-item questionnaire evaluating fatigue over the past month. Each item is scored on a scale of 0 to 7, with higher scores indicating greater fatigue severity. The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Armutlu et al. in 2007. A change of 0.45 points is considered clinically meaningful.
Time frame: 1 month
Change in plasma beta-endorphin levels measured by ELISA at baseline and week 4
Plasma beta-endorphin levels will be measured using an ELISA method. Blood samples will be collected from participants in the intervention group before and after laughter yoga sessions at week 1 and week 4, and from the control group at week 1 and week 4. Samples will be centrifuged, and serum will be stored at -80°C until analysis. Beta-endorphin concentrations will be determined using a commercially available ELISA kit.
Time frame: Baseline and week 4
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Firat University