Researchers are looking for participants to take part in a study investigating whether a mobile app could benefit patients with multiple sclerosis. For more information about this study and how to take part, you can view the source article here, at the National MS Society’s website.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that affects the transfer of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. For many people, it can cause serious disability.
MS can affect the brain and/or spinal cord, and lead to a range of possible symptoms. These can include problems with vision, balance, sensation, arm or leg movement, and thinking, learning, and planning, as well as numbness and fatigue, amongst others. According to the NHS, the condition is most commonly diagnosed when people are in their twenties and thirties, although this is not always the case, and it is approximately two to three times as many women have it as men.
The Purpose of the App
The diversity of symptoms associated with MS, coupled with the effects of medications, emotional health, and other environmental factors, mean that each person’s experiences of MS is different, and this can make research into MS complex. To explore this, researchers at Duke University are asking people with MS to record their experiences using a mobile phone app. The researchers hope that the data collected from this could be used to understand patients’ experiences with MS and increase communication in clinic visits. People who take part will be able to export their data to share with their healthcare professionals, if they choose to.
What the Research Involves
Researchers are looking for US participants who are aged 18 or above and who can read English and have access to an iPhone (iOS9 or greater).
As part of the research, people will be asked to answer questionnaires on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. The daily questionnaires should take approximately one minute to complete, while the weekly surveys may take around ten minutes. People who take part will also be given short tasks that are estimated to take less than five minutes, such as walking a certain distance to test factors such as motor speed, or playing a short game that measures short-term memory. People will be able to opt out of any question or task.
For more information about this study and how to take part, click here.
