The Impact of Task-Oriented Training on Health Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review aims to evaluate the impact of TOT on health outcomes in MS individuals.

Electronic research was conducted between March to April 2025 among Cochrane, EMBASE, PEDro, SCOPUS PubMed/MEDLINE, REHABDATA, OTseeker, WOS, and Scopus. Studies were systematically selected according to our PICOS strategy: adults with MS, TOT interventions versus no TOT interventions, usual care or no intervention; health outcomes; randomized controlled trials. This systematic review was previously registered in the PROSPERO database with ID number CRD42025526170. Information about authorship, year of publication, study design, sample size, gender, mean age, MS type, interventions and outcome measures was extracted from included studies. Methodological quality and risk of bias were also assessed.

A total of 385 participants were included. Sessions lasted an average of 55 minutes. The interventions period spanned approximately 10 weeks and included around 19 sessions. The control groups received treatment of similar duration.

TOT shows promise as an effective intervention for improving functional mobility, manual ability, fatigue, walking ability, and walking endurance in MS individuals. However, inconsistencies in training intensity, outcome measures, and study designs highlight the need for standardized protocols and long-term research to determine optimal practices.