title: The effect of exercise therapy on cognitive functions in multiple sclerosis patients: A pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The positive impacts of exercise therapy on patients' cognitive problems still remain unknown. This study was a pilot intervention to examine the effects of combined exercise on the cognitive problems of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Iranian MS Society over 2012 to 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  This quasi-experimental research was carried out in the form of a pretest/posttest study. Forty two patients with MS were selected from those visiting the rehabilitation center of Iranian MS Society, using non-probability convenience sampling. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) of each patient was recorded before the intervention and Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological (BRB-N) test was administered before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using the analytical tests such as Wilcoxon test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 21 participants, 17 subjects (82%, n=14) female with mean (±SD) age of 37 (±9.98) years and mean (±SD) EDSS of 2.35 (±0.90) completed all stages of the study. Changes in long-term storage and permanent long-term retrieval of information after the intervention were statistically significant (p<0.001). In addition, the change in the average of total delay after the intervention was also significant by 1.11 (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirmed the possibility of change in the cognitive abilities of MS patients through physical interventions. This finding emphasizes the necessity of more clinical examinations and increases the hopes for new rehabilitation methods for the disorder.
authors.affiliation: PhD candidate in Physiotherapy, School of Physiotherapy, Otago University, New Zealand and Iranian Multiple Sclerosis Society Rehabilitation Centre, Tehran, Iran. bahram.sangelaji@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sangelaji
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. fa_estebsari@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Estebsari
authors.affiliation: Fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis, Neurology Department of Mostafa Hospital, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran. seyedmassoodnabavi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Seyed Massood
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Nabavi
authors.affiliation: PhD candidate in Health Education and Promotion, Community Based Participatory Research Center, Iranian Institute for Reduction of High- Risk Behaviors, Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ensiyeh_jamshidi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ensiyeh
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jamshidi
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Texas Medical school, Houston, Texas, USA. damineh.morsali@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Damineh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morsali
authors.affiliation: PhD Student in Epidemiology, Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. mdastoorpour@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dastoorpoor
keywords: Cognitive Functions; Exercise Therapy; Multiple Sclerosis