title: Improving fatigue and depression in individuals with multiple sclerosis using telephone-administered physical activity counseling.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of a physical activity intervention consisting of telephone counseling with home-based monitoring to improve fatigue and depression in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-blind randomized controlled trial. Sixty-four individuals with MS received either telephone counseling (N = 31), or self-directed physical activity education (N = 33). The education condition (EC) consisted of advice to increase physical activity and a DVD with examples of in-home exercises for multiple physical ability levels. The telephone counseling condition (TC) included EC as well as mailed graphic feedback, 6 telephone counseling sessions using principles of motivational interviewing, and telehealth home monitoring to track progress on physical activity goals. Booster sessions were provided when participants indicated they did not meet their goals. Assessment was conducted at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TC participants reported significantly reduced fatigue (d = -.70), reduced depression (d = -.72) and increased physical activity (d = .92) relative to EC participants. Of individuals receiving TC, 33.3% experienced clinically significant improvement in fatigue (vs. 18.2% in EC) and 53.3% experienced clinically significant improvement in depression (vs. 9.1% in EC). Improvements in physical activity mediated improvements in fatigue with a similar trend for depression. TC was highly feasible (participants completed 99.5% of schedule telephone sessions) and well tolerated (100% rated it highly successful).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telephone-based counseling with home monitoring is a promising modality to improve physical activity and treat fatigue and depression.
authors.affiliation: VA Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence at VA Puget Sound Health Care System.
authors.forename: Aaron P
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6897-8003
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: VA Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence West.
authors.forename: Narineh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hartoonian
authors.affiliation: VA Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence West.
authors.forename: Alicia P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Sloan
authors.affiliation: VA Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence at VA Puget Sound Health Care System.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benich
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Services, Veterans Health Administration.
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Kivlahan
authors.affiliation: Independent Practice.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: VA Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence at VA Puget Sound Health Care System.
authors.forename: Abbey J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: VA Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence West.
authors.forename: Jodie K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Haselkorn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D037001:Directive Counseling; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062405:Motivational Interviewing; D009043:Motor Activity; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D017216:Telemedicine; D013689:Telephone; D016896:Treatment Outcome