Studying the Effectiveness of a Combined Motor and Cognitive – Behavioral Intervention Program on Balance and Balance Confidence in people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS)

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disorder in young adults and balance problems due to MS may result in disturbances in upright posture, limitations in walking and turning, and ultimately falls in patients.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a combined physical exercises and cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention program on static, dynamic balance and balance confidence in PwMS.Methods: The statistical population included MS patients (aged 20-60 years with Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] scores of 2-4) referred to the Arak MS Association.Thirty participants were selected via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups.Participants underwent pretests using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, singleleg stance test, and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale.Then, they participated in the combined motor and cognitive intervention program, and finally performed a post -test.Data were analyzed by Independent and Paired Student T-tests.Results: According to the results, the mean score of the experimental group in the TUG test (P 0.002), and standing on one-foot tests increased significantly in the post-test (P 0.001).There were no significant differences in mean ABC scores between the experimental and control groups on the post-test (P 0.153). Conclusions:The findings suggest that a combined motor and cognitive intervention program can effectively improve agility, dynamic and static balance in people with MS.Improving balance confidence may require a longer duration of training due to its subjective nature.