Acute Intermittent Hypoxia Combined With Gait Training in Multiple Sclerosis

The study tests whether a brief breathing treatment, acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH), can make a computer-based muscle training program (MINT) more effective for people with MS who have difficulty walking. AIH involves breathing short alternating periods of low-oxygen air (about 9% oxygen versus the roughly 21% in room air) and normal room air. The premise, drawn from work in other neurological conditions like spinal cord injury, is that AIH delivered before movement training may improve strength and walking. Whether this benefits people with MS is not yet known, which is the gap the study addresses. MINT itself uses surface EMG sensors on the leg muscles to capture muscle activity, which then controls game-like tasks on a screen. Participants practice activating the correct muscles for walking while suppressing unwanted activity.