ClinicalTrials.gg
Not yet recruitingNCT07578740HIIT-MSUpdated Sep 23, 2026

The Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Gait, Balance, and Cognitive Functions in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis

An interventional study of Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in Multiple Sclerosis, High-intensity Interval Training and Gait, sponsored by Hacettepe University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-23.

Sponsored by Hacettepe University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
40
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Where this study stands

Counted across the records on this site · 2026-11-12

Among 23 studies in Multiple Sclerosis by Hacettepe University — 6 open to participants now, 6 under way, none of them phase 3. Multiple Sclerosis · Hacettepe University.

Planned enrollment
5th of 15
40 · median 34
Started
2026
with 4 others
No phase
15 of 23
4 open now
Registered
20th of 23
by date

Among the 23 studies in Multiple Sclerosis by Hacettepe University, this one is the 5th largest by planned enrollment of the 15 interventional ones that give a count, is one of 5 that started in 2026, is one of 15 with no phase, and was the 20th registered.

Multiple Sclerosis

3,267 studies on the registry are indexed under Multiple Sclerosis; 662 are open to participants now.

Browse Multiple Sclerosis studies →

Open to participants now

6 of the 23 studies in Multiple Sclerosis by Hacettepe University are open now, in 1 country. Recruiting first, the newest first:

By country, each count listing its studies:

All 6 open studies →

Where they have run

Who these studies take

Of the 430 Multiple Sclerosis studies recruiting now, 163 (38%) set no upper age limit and 211 (49%) stop at 75 or younger; 40 take children under 18; 96 take healthy volunteers.

This study: 18 Years and older · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.

The full table on the hub →

This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.

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Watch this landscapeDownload CSVNarrow it in search →With an account: a weekly mail of what changed among 23 studies in Multiple Sclerosis by Hacettepe University, or all of them as a file.
02

Study summary

This study aims to comparatively investigate the effects of low-volume High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) versus Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) on gait, balance, cognitive functions, and neurovascular biomarkers (BDNF, VEGF) in individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This randomized controlled trial will be conducted at Hacettepe University, Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation.

Read the detailed description

Individuals with MS aged 18 and older, with an EDSS score of 0-4, no relapse in the past three months, and medically stable condition will be randomized into two groups using a sealed-envelope method. Group 1 will receive MICT on a cycle ergometer (twice weekly, 8 weeks); Group 2 will receive low-volume HIIT with the same frequency. Both groups will receive an individualized physiotherapy program after each aerobic session. Outcomes include gait (TUG, T25FW, DGI), balance (Mini-BESTest, mCTSIB), cognitive function (BICAMS: SDMT, CVLT-II, BVMT-R), exercise capacity (ISWT), and blood biomarkers (BDNF, VEGF) assessed via ELISA.

03

Conditions studied

  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • High-intensity Interval Training
  • Gait
  • Balance
  • Cognition
  • Biomarkers

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • Multiple Sclerosis, High-Intensity Interval Training, HIIT, Gait, Balance, Cognition, BDNF, VEGF, Randomized Controlled Trial
04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis by a neurologist (Hacettepe University Hospitals, Neurology Outpatient Clinic)
  • Age 18 years and older
  • EDSS score between 0 and 4
  • Score of 24 or above on the Standardized
  • No relapse in the past 3 months
  • Medically stable for at least 6 months

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any additional cardiopulmonary, neurological, or systemic disease other than MS
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

MMSE and MoCA

Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
40 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    MICT Group (Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training)

    Cycle ergometer-based MICT, twice weekly for 8 weeks, starting at 60% of peak workload, progressing to 80%. Sessions include 5-min warm-up, 20-30 min exercise, 5-min cool-down, followed by 30-min individualized physiotherapy.

    Behavioral: Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT)

  • Experimental
    HIIT Group (High-Intensity Interval Training)

    HIIT on cycle ergometer, twice weekly for 8 weeks. Protocol: 5-min warm-up (40% peak workload), 10 × 1-min intervals at 90% peak workload with 1-min active recovery (60% peak workload) between each, followed by 5-min cool-down. Total session: \~20 min aerobic + 30-min individualized physiotherapy.

    Behavioral: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Interventions

  • BehavioralModerate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT)

    Cycle ergometer-based exercise, twice weekly for 8 weeks. Starting intensity at 60% of peak workload, progressing to 80%. Each session includes 5-min warm-up, 20-30 min continuous exercise, and 5-min cool-down, followed by 30-min individualized physiotherapy program.

  • BehavioralHigh-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

    Cycle ergometer-based exercise, twice weekly for 8 weeks. Each session includes 5-min warm-up (40% peak workload), 10 × 1-min intervals at 90% peak workload with 1-min active recovery (60% peak workload) between each interval, and 5-min cool-down. Total aerobic exercise duration: \~20 min, followed by 30-min individualized physiotherapy program.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Timed Up and Go Test (TUG)

    Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). Participants are asked to rise from a standard chair, walk 3 meters, turn around, walk back, and sit down as fast as safely possible. Measured in seconds. Lower values indicate better functional mobility and balance.

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Timed 25-Foot Walk Test (T25FW)

    Timed 25-Foot Walk Test (T25FW). Participants are instructed to walk 7.62 meters (25 feet) as quickly and safely as possible. Measured in seconds. Lower values indicate better walking speed.

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

  2. Dynamic Gait Index (DGI)

    Dynamic Gait Index (DGI). Assesses the ability to maintain balance while walking under varied conditions across 8 tasks. Minimum score: 0, Maximum score: 24. Higher scores indicate better dynamic gait balance.

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

  3. Incremental Shuttle Walk Test (ISWT)

    Incremental Shuttle Walk Test (ISWT). Participants walk between two cones placed 9 meters apart at increasing speeds guided by audio signals until they can no longer maintain the required pace. Measured in meters walked. Higher values indicate better functional exercise capacity.

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

  4. Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest)

    Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini BESTest). Assesses dynamic balance across 14 items in 4 subsections: anticipatory postural control, reactive postural control, sensory orientation, and dynamic gait. Minimum score: 0, Maximum score: 28. Higher scores indicate better balance performance.

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

  5. Modified CTSIB (mCTSIB) - Static Posturography

    Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance (mCTSIB). Assesses static postural stability under 4 conditions: eyes open/closed on firm and foam surfaces. Postural sway is measured in degrees per second. Lower values indicate better static balance.

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

  6. Serum BDNF levels (ELISA)

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

  7. Serum VEGF levels (ELISA)

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

  8. Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)

    Part of the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) battery. Assesses information processing speed in neurological conditions. Participants are asked to match symbols with corresponding digits within 90 seconds. Minimum score: 0, Maximum score: 110. Higher scores indicate better cognitive processing speed.

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

  9. California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II)

    Part of the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) battery. Assesses auditory and verbal memory. A list of 16 words across 4 categories is read aloud and recalled over 5 trials. Minimum score: 0, Maximum score: 80. Higher scores indicate better verbal learning and memory.

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

  10. Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R)

    Part of the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) battery. Assesses visuospatial memory. Six geometric figures are presented and participants are asked to reproduce them from memory. Minimum score: 0, Maximum score: 36. Higher scores indicate better visuospatial memory.

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Start is estimated for Nov 2026; primary completion for Jun 2028, 19 months later.

Of 848 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Multiple Sclerosis, half reached primary completion within 22 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 9 and three quarters within 43. This study's planned 19 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 870 studies reached it within 21 months; a quarter within 9 and three quarters within 43.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
May 5, 2026
First posted
May 11, 2026
StartEst.
Nov 2026
Primary completionEst.
Jun 2028
CompletionEst.
Jun 2028
Last update
Sep 23, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 23, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07578740
Responsible party
Kübra Turan (PhD Candidate / Physiotherapist, Hacettepe University) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 11, 2026
Start date
Nov 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jun 2028 (estimated)
Completion
Jun 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 23, 2026

Study contacts

Kübra Turan, Msc, PT
Contact
kubraaturann5@gmail.com
+90 506 516 41 58
Yeliz SALCI
principal investigator · Hacettepe University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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