Digital Phenotyping and Lifestyle Intervention in Patients With Myasthenia Gravis ( <scp>DIG</scp> ‐ <scp>MG</scp> ): A Randomized Controlled Trial of Feasibility, Adherence, and Effects on Fatigue

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: Physical activity and sleep influence fatigue in myasthenia gravis (MG), and digital health technologies (DHT) enable objective monitoring of these behaviors in daily life. Using this approach, we evaluated whether a lifestyle intervention targeting physical activity or sleep hygiene could reduce fatigue in MG. METHODS: In this three-arm, randomized controlled trial (DIG-MG; NCT05992025), 72 MG patients completed 6 weeks of baseline monitoring with a DHT ring (OURA), followed by 12 weeks of (i) physical activity guidance, (ii) sleep hygiene education, or (iii) observation, and a 6-week follow-up. The primary outcome was the MG Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) score 1 week postintervention. Secondary outcomes included Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) scores; exploratory outcomes were DHT-derived physical activity and sleep parameters. RESULTS: Baseline MG-ADL scores were similar (median: 5.0). Postintervention medians were 4.0 (physical activity), 3.5 (sleep hygiene), and 3.0 (control), with no significant differences (p = 0.073). Clinically meaningful MG-ADL improvement occurred in six, seven, and six participants, respectively. FSS scores showed no group differences (p = 0.992), with clinically relevant improvement in eight participants in each intervention group and five controls. Participants were more physically active than expected: 64.7% exceeded 600 MET-min/week at baseline. DHT adherence was excellent. REM sleep was lower than expected, while deep sleep was preserved. Self-reported data aligned with DHT measurements. DISCUSSION: Digital lifestyle interventions were feasible and well-accepted but did not improve MG-ADL or FSS in this unusually active population. However, DHT-based monitoring may support individualized follow-up, and reduced REM sleep warrants further investigation as a fatigue-related factor.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Muscle & Nerve
Published
2026-04-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.70234
Primary Topic
Myasthenia Gravis and Thymoma
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Digital Phenotyping and Lifestyle Intervention in Patients With Myasthenia Gravis ( DIG ‐ MG ): A Randomized Controlled Trial of Feasibility, Adherence, and Effects on Fatigue

Maja Norling, Elisabet Westerberg, Susanna Jernelöv, Julia Hedberg et al.
Muscle & Nerve
Myasthenia Gravis and Thymoma
article

Digital Phenotyping and Lifestyle Intervention in Patients With Myasthenia Gravis ( DIG ‐ MG ): A Randomized Controlled Trial of Feasibility, Adherence, and Effects on Fatigue

Maja Norling, Elisabet Westerberg, Susanna Jernelöv, Julia Hedberg, Anna Rostedt Punga, Klara Norman, Ingela Nygren, N Eriksson, Sui H. Wong, Pernilla Åsenlöf
article en

Abstract

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: Physical activity and sleep influence fatigue in myasthenia gravis (MG), and digital health technologies (DHT) enable objective monitoring of these behaviors in daily life. Using this approach, we evaluated whether a lifestyle intervention targeting physical activity or sleep hygiene could reduce fatigue in MG. METHODS: In this three-arm, randomized controlled trial (DIG-MG; NCT05992025), 72 MG patients completed 6 weeks of baseline monitoring with a DHT ring (OURA), followed by 12 weeks of (i) physical activity guidance, (ii) sleep hygiene education, or (iii) observation, and a 6-week follow-up. The primary outcome was the MG Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) score 1 week postintervention. Secondary outcomes included Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) scores; exploratory outcomes were DHT-derived physical activity and sleep parameters. RESULTS: Baseline MG-ADL scores were similar (median: 5.0). Postintervention medians were 4.0 (physical activity), 3.5 (sleep hygiene), and 3.0 (control), with no significant differences (p = 0.073). Clinically meaningful MG-ADL improvement occurred in six, seven, and six participants, respectively. FSS scores showed no group differences (p = 0.992), with clinically relevant improvement in eight participants in each intervention group and five controls. Participants were more physically active than expected: 64.7% exceeded 600 MET-min/week at baseline. DHT adherence was excellent. REM sleep was lower than expected, while deep sleep was preserved. Self-reported data aligned with DHT measurements. DISCUSSION: Digital lifestyle interventions were feasible and well-accepted but did not improve MG-ADL or FSS in this unusually active population. However, DHT-based monitoring may support individualized follow-up, and reduced REM sleep warrants further investigation as a fatigue-related factor.

Muscle & Nerve
Uppsala University (SE), Uppsala University Hospital (SE), King's College London (GB), Karolinska Institutet (SE), Department of Medical Sciences (RU)
Familjen Erling-Perssons Stiftelse
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Myasthenia Gravis and Thymoma
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.