The Barts MS team are running a study, investigating whether a new hand and arm activity called “Under & Over” can improve upper limb function for people with MS. The study is titled: “Under & Over: A controlled study to develop an upper limb rehabilitation tool for people with Multiple Sclerosis.”
This study is now recruiting – find out more information on the study website.
This is part of our ThinkHand project which addresses the need for more resources, research and services to support upper limb function.
What is the purpose of the study?
The research is designed to find out whether repeated use of the Under & Over tool (pictured above) can improve upper limb function in people with MS. It is also designed to gather information about the long term use of the tool based on participants’ experiences and the use of a digital platform and community integration to support this.
Who can take part?
Men and women over 18 years can take part if:
- You have a diagnosis of MS (more than 6 months)
- You have internet access
- You have an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of ≥6 as measured using the online WebEDSS
- You understand and able to communicate in English
You will not be Eligible to take part if:
- You are unable to use your hands because of pain or any other reason that might interfere with your ability to complete the intervention using the Under & Over device.
It is a fully remote study, so there are no clinical visits or examinations. All study resources are online or will be posted to your home. You just need to live in the UK.
A number of baseline questionnaires will gather initial data that we will compare with the same data gathered at the end of the study (cardboard 9 Hole Peg test, WebEDSS, ABILHAND questionnaire, MSIF and MSIS-29).
Following baseline assessments, everyone who agrees to take part in this study will be randomly assigned to one of two groups; one group will receive immediate intervention and the other group will receive the delayed intervention; this is called the wait-list control group. This means that they will receive access to the rehabilitation programme after a 3-month period. This way everyone who participates in the study will eventually get access to the rehabilitation programme.
Contact for further information about the study:
If you would like further information, answer to any questions or queries and would like to express interest to take part please contact the Under & Over Research Team (underandover@qmul.ac.uk) and read the participant information on the study website.
I do a fair amount of hand stitching and have noticed a gradual decline in strength and dexterity in my right hand, also with using scissors. I don’t know about rehab but it has definitely been a useful monitoring tool.