P. Feys
Universiteit Hasselt, Biomed, Faculty Member
Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Frailty is accompanied by, or can be caused by, a combination of several physical, psychosocial and cognitive problems, and is highly prevalent in older patients with... more
Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Frailty is accompanied by, or can be caused by, a combination of several physical, psychosocial and cognitive problems, and is highly prevalent in older patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, different frailty assessment batteries (e.g. Fried and Vigorito) remain to be compared in terms of prognosis, as well as the subcomponents within those batteries. Purpose To examine which frailty measurements contribute to the prediction of frailty in CVD patients, and prognosis, and thus should be executed in clinical settings. Methods In 133 CVD patients (mean age 78.1 ± 6.7 years) the presence of frailty was examined by the Fried criteria and compared with the outcome from the multi-component frailty assessment tool of Vigorito including the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Katz-scale, 4.6 m gait speed, Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), handgrip strength, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Sc...
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Physical exercise is accepted as an effective treatment method to improve muscle strength, physical fitness, and walking capacity. Evidence is robust for standardized endurance and resistance training programs in ambulatory persons with... more
Physical exercise is accepted as an effective treatment method to improve muscle strength, physical fitness, and walking capacity. Evidence is robust for standardized endurance and resistance training programs in ambulatory persons with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), with indications of beneficial effects in progressive type of MS. However, few studies have been performed in severely affected patients requiring at least unilateral support during walking. It is obviously more difficult to reach high-intensity training when motor dysfunction is pronounced and symptoms such as impaired balance and motor fatigability are present.1 The treatment potential and best modality in severely disabled patients are not yet established.
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To conduct a placebo-controlled prospective study of the effectiveness of intrathecal bolus injections and continuous administration of baclofen on functional parameters in patients with severe spasticity of cerebral origin. To compare... more
To conduct a placebo-controlled prospective study of the effectiveness of intrathecal bolus injections and continuous administration of baclofen on functional parameters in patients with severe spasticity of cerebral origin. To compare this functional evaluation with spasticity scores in different muscle groups. In 11 patients with spasticity of cerebral origin (mainly cerebral palsy), double-blind scoring of spasticity (Ashworth scale score and visual analog score), spasms, pain, and functional abilities was performed during tests with bolus injections including a placebo control. Eight patients were considered good responders and received a subcutaneous device for intrathecal drug delivery. Six of these patients were followed up for 2 years, during which they underwent the same scoring procedures as after their bolus injections. These patients were subjected to a blinded dose reduction test. There was a noticeable placebo effect on spasticity scores during tests with bolus injections. Eight patients demonstrated a significant beneficial effect of intrathecal bolus injections compared with this placebo effect. Functional improvements were noted in most patients. During continuous infusion, Ashworth scale scores were less favorable but still significantly lower than at baseline. Subjective evaluation (visual analog scores) remained positive, functional improvements were maintained, and patient comfort was invariably and significantly improved. Intrathecal administration of baclofen is a safe and effective treatment for spasticity of cerebral origin. Functional improvement was demonstrated. The presence of a placebo effect on the spasticity scores suggests the need for double-blind screening in each patient.
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To investigate whether driving performance is impaired in persons with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis (MS). This study included 15 persons with MS (pwMS) and 17 healthy controls. The MS group exhibited mild to moderate impairments on... more
To investigate whether driving performance is impaired in persons with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis (MS). This study included 15 persons with MS (pwMS) and 17 healthy controls. The MS group exhibited mild to moderate impairments on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (median, Q1-Q3; 3.5, 2.5-4). The driving simulation required participants to drive in daily traffic while attending to a divided attention (DA) task. Computerized measures on the driving task included number of accidents, tickets, speed maintenance, standard deviation of lateral position, and time to collision. Response times and accuracy on the DA task were also computer generated. Additionally, pwMS completed a clinical evaluation encompassing motor, functional, visual, psychosocial and cognitive tests. No differences between healthy controls and pwMS were observed on all measures of the primary driving task. PwMS performed worse than healthy controls on DA response time (3.10 s, 2.87-3.68 versus 2.15 s, 2.04-2.43; p = 0.001) and accuracy (15 correct answers, 11-18 versus 24 correct answers, 22-25; p < 0.0001). Depression was significantly associated with time to collision (r = -0.77; p < 0.01). Subjects with mild to moderate MS are able to prioritize the driving task above the DA task. The relationship between depression and driving performance in MS merits further investigation.
Research Interests: Psychology, Multiple sclerosis, Medicine, Simulation, Humans, and 12 moreFemale, Male, Psychosocial, Middle Aged, Adult, Task Performance and Analysis, Case Control Studies, Automobile driving, Severity of Illness Index, Neuropsychological Tests, Disability Evaluation, and Medical and Health Sciences
KULeuven. ...
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KULeuven. ...
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KULeuven. ...
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KULeuven. ...
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KULeuven. ...
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KULeuven. ...
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KULeuven. ...
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KULeuven. ...
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The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) and to investigate whether an association exists between the presence of TMD... more
The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) and to investigate whether an association exists between the presence of TMD symptoms and the degree of MS-related disability. In all, 120 individuals were evaluated: 60 patients with a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS and 60 age- and sex-matched controls without neurological impairments. A questionnaire recommended by the European Academy of Craniomandibular Disorders for the assessment of TMD symptoms was administered. For those who answered affirmatively to at least one of the questions, the RDC/TMD Axis I instrument was used for a possible classification of TMD subtypes. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was the measure of the degree of MS-related disability. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the data. ANOVA was used to detect significant differences between means and to assess whether the factors inf...
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The Multiple Sclerosis Outcome Assessments Consortium (MSOAC) was formed by the National MS Society to develop improved measures of multiple sclerosis (MS)-related disability. (1) To assess the current literature and available data on... more
The Multiple Sclerosis Outcome Assessments Consortium (MSOAC) was formed by the National MS Society to develop improved measures of multiple sclerosis (MS)-related disability. (1) To assess the current literature and available data on functional performance outcome measures (PerfOs) and (2) to determine suitability of using PerfOs to quantify MS disability in MS clinical trials. (1) Identify disability dimensions common in MS; (2) conduct a comprehensive literature review of measures for those dimensions; (3) develop an MS Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) data standard; (4) create a database of standardized, pooled clinical trial data; (5) analyze the pooled data to assess psychometric properties of candidate measures; and (6) work with regulatory agencies to use the measures as primary or secondary outcomes in MS clinical trials. Considerable data exist supporting measures of the functional domains ambulation, manual dexterity, vision, and cognition. A CDISC s...
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Patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) have been attributed greater walking disability than relapsing--remitting MS (RRMS) patients but quantitative data on walking speed and ability are lacking. to investigate the impact of... more
Patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) have been attributed greater walking disability than relapsing--remitting MS (RRMS) patients but quantitative data on walking speed and ability are lacking. to investigate the impact of type of MS on severity of reduced walking ability and capacity taking into account age, sex, height and disease duration. cross--sectional observational multi--center study SETTING: European MS centers providing either in-- or out--patient services, or both. This study included 502 patients: 259, 162 and 81 patients showed RRMS, secondary and primary progressive MS respectively. Walking was evaluated by T25FW, six minute walk test and MS--Walking Scale--12. Patient characteristics were compared using a one--way ANOVA, and simple and multivariate regression analysis were applied with the walking measures. In adjusted (sex, age, weight, height and disease duration) analyses, walking impairments were more than 20% greater in progressive types of MS compa...
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Research Interests: Robotics, Psychology, Computer Science, Physics, Rehabilitation, and 15 moreNeurorehabilitation, Haptics, Exercise therapy, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Navigation, Robots, Orientation, Virtual, User Study, Three Dimensional, Interactive Monitoring System, Shading, Object Localization, Cognitive dysfunction, and Interactive system
Research Interests: Engineering, Algorithms, Biomedical Engineering, Multiple sclerosis, Medicine, and 15 morePhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation robotics, Learning, Iterative Learning Control, Functional Electrical Stimulation, Humans, Movement, Female, Feasibility Studies, Arm, Middle Aged, Adult, Reproducibility of Results, Electrical And Electronic Engineering, and Electric stimulation
Many patients with upper limb intention tremor encounter difficulties in mouse-driven interaction with the personal computer (PC). An assistive technology system ("the Tremor Control System"), consisting of a motion-filtering... more
Many patients with upper limb intention tremor encounter difficulties in mouse-driven interaction with the personal computer (PC). An assistive technology system ("the Tremor Control System"), consisting of a motion-filtering software program that supports multiple interfaces, was developed and validated with 36 persons with Multiple Sclerosis in a multi-center trial. PC-tests, requiring basic functions such as cursor placement and click and drag function, were able to differentiate between patients and control subjects (ANOVA: p<0.05). A significant time improvement on the PC-tests was found when using an optimal alternative interface instead of the standard PC-mouse (paired t-tests: p<0.01 for Point & Click test, p<0.05 for Drag & Drop test and p<0.1 for Double Click test). A significant time improvement was found for the Double Click test (paired t-tests: p<0.05) when the motion-filtering program was implemented. The number of patients able to perform ful...
Research Interests: Computer Science, Technology, Multiple sclerosis, Assistive Technology, Medicine, and 15 moreControl system, Software, Computers, Humans, Physical Rehabilitation, Profitability, Tremor, Accuracy, Clinical Sciences, Precision, Upper Limb, Computer, Self-help devices, Man–machine Systems, and Computer mouse
Persons with central nervous deficits, such as MS and stroke patients, can benefit a lot from suitable training approaches that enhance their ability to perform activities in daily life. As performing rotations with the forearm (pro- and... more
Persons with central nervous deficits, such as MS and stroke patients, can benefit a lot from suitable training approaches that enhance their ability to perform activities in daily life. As performing rotations with the forearm (pro- and supination movements) is essential in many daily tasks, we use this as an example to illustrate our structured rehabilitation approach for the upper extremities. The results of the patient-centric design and development of the rehabilitation robotics system are illustrated, and several levels of interactive training exercises in virtual haptic environments are shown. Considerations regarding the system setup as well as hardware adjustments to the haptic device and peripheral equipment are described. Evaluations with patients and therapists demonstrate the importance of the patient-centric approach and reveal appreciation for the resulting interactive training system.
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Research Interests: Psychology, Computer Science, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Medicine, Humans, and 15 moreMovement, Female, Neuroimage, Male, Eye Movements, Hemispheric Asymmetry, Adult, Eye Movement, Hand, Left and Right, Process Capability, Biomechanical Phenomena, Functional Laterality, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
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Research Interests: Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Algorithms, Iterative Methods, and 15 moreAdaptive Control, Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Learning, Iterative Learning Control, Functional Electrical Stimulation, Humans, Rt, Feasibility Studies, Male, Qa, Muscles, Middle Aged, Adult, and Recovery of Function
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Background. Motor imagery has recently gained attention as a promising new rehabilitation method for patients with neurological disorders. Up to now, however, it has been unclear whether this practice method can also be successfully... more
Background. Motor imagery has recently gained attention as a promising new rehabilitation method for patients with neurological disorders. Up to now, however, it has been unclear whether this practice method can also be successfully applied in the rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Objective. This study aimed to investigate whether the motor imagery ability of patients with PD is still intact despite basal ganglia dysfunctioning. Methods. A total of 14 patients with early- and mid-stage PD (Hoehn and Yahr 1-3) and 14 healthy controls were evaluated by means of an extensive imagery ability assessment battery, consisting of 2 questionnaires, the Chaotic Motor Imagery Assessment battery, and a test based on mental chronometry. Results. PD patients performed the imagery tasks more slowly than controls, but the motor imagery vividness and accuracy of most patients were well preserved. Conclusions. These results are promising regarding the potential use of motor image...
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Rehabilitation, Treatment Outcome, Imagination, and 15 moreMedicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Humans, Movement, Female, Male, Neural Repair, Clinical Sciences, Motor Imagery, Aged, Middle Aged, Hypokinesia, Neurosciences, Mental Image, and Parkinson Disease
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is often used to assess walking distance in multiple sclerosis (MS), but can be both time consuming for the investigator and exhausting for people with MS (pwMS). The present report compared the 6MWT scores... more
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is often used to assess walking distance in multiple sclerosis (MS), but can be both time consuming for the investigator and exhausting for people with MS (pwMS). The present report compared the 6MWT scores of 40 ambulatory pwMS with their scores on the shorter 2-minute walk test (2MWT). The 2MWT estimated the 6MWT results with a mean relative error of 5% ( R2 = 0.96; p < 0.01). As the last 4-minute period of the 6MWT seems redundant, the 2MWT may be considered as a practical replacement for the 6MWT in routine clinical assessment.
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A ccurate goal-directed movements toward a visual target require a precise coordination of both the oculomotor and limb motor systems. Intentio n tremor and eye movement deficits are frequently observed in multiple sclerosis (MS). The... more
A ccurate goal-directed movements toward a visual target require a precise coordination of both the oculomotor and limb motor systems. Intentio n tremor and eye movement deficits are frequently observed in multiple sclerosis (MS). The goal of this study was to examine the characteristics of intentio n tremor and simultaneously produced eye movements during rapid goal-directed movements. Eye and hand movements were synchronously measured in 16 MS patients with intentio n tremor and 16 control subjects. Manual performances of the patient group were character ized by a delayed onset, slower executio n and aiming inaccuracies. In line with the clinically defined picture of intention tremor, differences between patients and control subjects were most pronounced toward the end of the movement. Dependent variables were obviously greater in MS patients compared with control subjects, and correlated well with clinical outcome measures. The application of an inertial load to the limb did not ...
Research Interests: Psychology, Multiple sclerosis, Motor Control, Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and 15 moreHumans, Female, Male, Eye Movements, Clinical Sciences, Middle Aged, Adult, Multiple, Eye Movement, Hand, Neurosciences, Movement Control, Biomechanical Phenomena, Functional Laterality, and Motor activity
The effect of visual information on step-tracking movements was studied in 18 patients with intention tremor due to multiple sclerosis (MS) and 15 healthy controls. Participants performed a slow wrist step-tracking task with stationary... more
The effect of visual information on step-tracking movements was studied in 18 patients with intention tremor due to multiple sclerosis (MS) and 15 healthy controls. Participants performed a slow wrist step-tracking task with stationary targets under five visual feedback conditions. The display of the target and movement cues was selectively withdrawn to examine the effects of visual information on intention tremor and movement accuracy. Results showed that intentio n tremor was most pronounced when visual display of both target and movement cues was available. Withdrawing visual information of the limb movement reduced tremor more than withdrawing the visual display of the target cues. Both the patient and control group was less accurate when the display of limb movement was occluded. Patients, however, were more dependent on visual information of the limb movement for accurate motor performance than healthy controls. When the visual display of the limb movement was partially occlud...
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Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Multiple sclerosis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Medicine, and 15 morePhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Movement disorders, Humans, Movement, Female, Male, Eye Movements, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Eye Movement, Saccade, Functional Laterality, and Psychomotor Performance
Research Interests: Neurology, Multiple sclerosis, Treatment Outcome, Adolescent, Medicine, and 15 morePhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Activities of Daily Living, Humans, Female, Male, Heart rate, Tremor, Body Temperature, Middle Aged, Adult, Peripheral, Nerve Conduction Velocity, Wrist, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
The authors investigated whether movement-planning and feedback-processing abilities associated with the 2 hand-hemisphere systems mediate illusion-induced biases in manual aiming and saccadic eye movements. Although participants&#39;... more
The authors investigated whether movement-planning and feedback-processing abilities associated with the 2 hand-hemisphere systems mediate illusion-induced biases in manual aiming and saccadic eye movements. Although participants&#39; (N = 23) eye movements were biased in the direction expected on the basis of a typical Müller-Lyer configuration, hand movements were unaffected. Most interesting, both left- and right-handers&#39; eye fixation onset and time to hand peak velocity were earlier when they aimed with the left hand than they were when they aimed with the right hand, regardless of the availability of vision for online movement control. They thus adapted their eye-hand coordination pattern to accommodate functional asymmetries. The authors suggest that individuals apply different movement strategies according to the abilities of the hand and the hemisphere system used to produce the same outcome.
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Research Interests: Psychology, Imagination, Medicine, Humans, Visual Imagery, and 15 moreMovement, Female, Male, Eye Movements, Goals, Task Performance, Motor Imagery, Adult, Eye Movement, Hand, Electrooculography, Right Handed, Psychomotor Performance, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
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KULeuven. ...
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1REVAL Rehabilitation and Health Care Research Centre, PHL University College, Guffenslaan 39, B-3500 Hasselt, Belgium. 2Expertise Centre for Digital Media, Hasselt University and transnationale University Limburg, Wetenschapspark 2,... more
1REVAL Rehabilitation and Health Care Research Centre, PHL University College, Guffenslaan 39, B-3500 Hasselt, Belgium. 2Expertise Centre for Digital Media, Hasselt University and transnationale University Limburg, Wetenschapspark 2, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium. 3Department of ...
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KULeuven. ...
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Background. Evaluation of treatment effects on walking requires appropriate and responsive outcome measures. Objectives. To determine responsiveness of 5 walking measures and provide reference values for clinically meaningful... more
Background. Evaluation of treatment effects on walking requires appropriate and responsive outcome measures. Objectives. To determine responsiveness of 5 walking measures and provide reference values for clinically meaningful improvements, according to disability level, in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Methods. Walking tests were measured pre- and postrehabilitation in 290 pwMS from 17 European centers. Combined anchor- and distribution-based methods determined responsiveness of objective short and long walking capacity tests (Timed 25-Foot Walk [T25FW] and 2- and 6-Minute Walk Tests [2MWT and 6MWT] and of the patient-reported Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale–12 [MSWS-12]). A global rating of change scale, from patients’ and therapists’ perspective, was used as external criteria to determine the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), minimally important change (MIC), and smallest real change (SRC). Patients were stratified into disability subgroups (...
Research Interests: Cognitive Science, Rehabilitation, Multiple sclerosis, Treatment Outcome, Medicine, and 14 morePhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy, Humans, Walking, Europe, Male, Clinical Sciences, Rating Scale, Middle Aged, Adult, Neurosciences, Recovery of Function, Disability Evaluation, and Reference standards
Different walking capacity test formats are applied, but their impact on the gait pattern in persons with MS (pwMS) has not yet been investigated according to baseline velocity performance. To assess, in pwMS with different ambulation... more
Different walking capacity test formats are applied, but their impact on the gait pattern in persons with MS (pwMS) has not yet been investigated according to baseline velocity performance. To assess, in pwMS with different ambulation dysfunction, the impact of speed instructions and previous walking tests (2 and 6min walking test; 2MWT and 6MWT) on spatiotemporal gait parameters. 27 participants, divided in three groups based on usual gait speed (Most Limited Community Walkers; MLCW<0.82m/s, CW>1.14m/s, LCW show intermediate values), completed the 2MWT and 6MWT. Before and after each test, they walked on the GAITRite walkway system at both usual and fastest speed. Spatio-temporal gait parameters were measured and analyzed with ANOVA. All gait parameters in the MLCW were significantly different from other groups. In contrast to the MLCW, the LCW and CW subgroups showed greater velocity in the fastest compared to usual speed condition, associated with a significant increase in ...
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Research Interests: Neuroscience, Psychology, Imagination, Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and 15 moreHumans, Movement, Female, Male, Eye Movements, Electromyography, ID, Motor Imagery, Eye Movement, Electrooculography, Neurosciences, Control Group, Functional Equivalence, Mental Practice, and Psychomotor Performance
Patients with arm intention tremor due to multiple sclerosis (MS) often manifest eye movement deficits, illustrating the role of infratentorial brain in both ocular and manual movement control. Our previous study showed that both the... more
Patients with arm intention tremor due to multiple sclerosis (MS) often manifest eye movement deficits, illustrating the role of infratentorial brain in both ocular and manual movement control. Our previous study showed that both the amplitude of intention tremor and eye fixational movements were greatly enhanced after coordinated eye-hand action toward stationary targets vs during hand movements with continuous target fixation. The present study tested, during coordinated step-tracking movements, the hypothesis that the amplitude of hand intention tremor was influenced by (unsteady) gaze fixation onto the target. Simultaneously recorded eye and hand tracking movements were compared between 13 MS patients with intention tremor and 14 healthy controls over conditions in which the magnitude of the primary eye and hand tracking movements, as well as their ratio, were altered. Patients always made larger fixational eye movements around the visual targets than the controls. In the patient group, the size of fixational eye movements decreased following a reduction in the magnitude of the preceding saccadic movement, and most interestingly, was accompanied with a decrease in tremor amplitude. An alteration in the magnitude of the primary hand movement did not affect the tremor severity. In patients with multiple sclerosis with intention tremor, the unsteady gaze fixation on the visual targets is proportional to the magnitude of the preceding saccades, and influences the severity of intention tremor during eye-hand coordinated visuomotor tasks.
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Adaptive filters for the suppression of tremor ... Carlo Albert0 Avizzano Federico Barbagli Massimo Bergamasco PERCRO t Pisa, Italy ... Abstract-Intention tremor severely compromises ev-eryday life tasks in patients suffering by Multiple... more
Adaptive filters for the suppression of tremor ... Carlo Albert0 Avizzano Federico Barbagli Massimo Bergamasco PERCRO t Pisa, Italy ... Abstract-Intention tremor severely compromises ev-eryday life tasks in patients suffering by Multiple Scle-rosis or Parkinson 's disease. The present ...
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This study investigated validity and reliability of digitised circle and square spiral drawing for quantifying intention tremor severity and related disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The tremor amplitude was measured as... more
This study investigated validity and reliability of digitised circle and square spiral drawing for quantifying intention tremor severity and related disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The tremor amplitude was measured as the standard deviation of the drawing ...
Research Interests: Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Computer Graphics, Multiple sclerosis, Drawing, and 15 moreHumans, Movement, Female, Male, Arm, Computer User Interface Design, Middle Aged, Adult, Clinical Assessment, Correlation coefficient, Neurosciences, Motor Skills, Neurologic Examination, Neuropsychological Tests, and Neuroscience Methods
To investigate the acute effects of long-term whole-body vibration on leg muscle performance and functional capacity in persons with multiple sclerosis. A randomized controlled trial. Twenty-five patients with multiple sclerosis (mean age... more
To investigate the acute effects of long-term whole-body vibration on leg muscle performance and functional capacity in persons with multiple sclerosis. A randomized controlled trial. Twenty-five patients with multiple sclerosis (mean age 47.9 ± 1.9 years; Expanded Disability Status Scale 4.3 ± 0.2) were assigned randomly to whole-body vibration training (n = 11) or to a control group (n = 14). The whole-body vibration group performed static and dynamic leg squats and lunges on a vibration platform (25-45 Hz, 2.5 mm amplitude) during a 20-week training period (5 training sessions per 2-week cycle), and the control group maintained their usual lifestyle. PRE-, MID- (10 weeks) and POST- (20 weeks) knee-muscle maximal isometric and dynamic strength, strength endurance and speed of movement were measured using isokinetic dynamometry. Function was determined through the Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go, Two-minute Walk Test and the Timed 25-Foot Walk Test. Leg muscle performance and functional capacity were not altered following 10 or 20 weeks of whole-body vibration. Under the conditions of the present study, the applied 20-week whole-body vibration exercise protocol did not improve leg muscle performance or functional capacity in mild- to moderately impaired persons with multiple sclerosis during and immediately after the training programme.