“This clinical trial (link is external) will use a patient-centered approach that takes into account the many facets of MS, in order to directly impact clinical practice and payer coverage of two of the most widely accepted treatments for MS fatigue,” says Braley, assistant professor of neurology.
Three interventions
The researchers say a lack of evidence to help patients and other stakeholders choose from the available care options makes this topic important to explore.
Braley and Kratz’s team will compare the effectiveness of:
Modafinil, a commonly used fatigue medication
Cognitive behavioral therapy, a commonly used behavioral treatment strategy
A combination of both treatments
All subjects will wear accelerometers to measure their physical activity, and they’ll self-report their fatigue severity and fatigability throughout the day. The investigators say the cognitive behavioral therapy will be administered by phone to address treatment accessibility. Collaborators have a variety of specialties, including neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychology and psychiatry.
“The interdisciplinary nature of this study team is very exciting, particularly because it matches the common real-world scenario where patients seek out a variety of different practitioners for help in managing difficult symptoms like fatigue,” says Kratz, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation.
