Table Tennis as Neurologic Rehabilitation (NeuroPongTM Program) to Improve Motor Function in People with Multiple Sclerosis

Background and/or Objectives: To investigate the impact of our table tennis program (NeuroPongTM Program) on motor function, specifically walking ability, in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Design: Prospective cohort study

Setting : Table-tennis court, Rush Specialty Hospital, Chicago, IL

Participants : Six adult subjects with diagnosed MS

Interventions: A 12-week instructor-led table tennis intervention consisting of two 120-minute table tennis sessions per week.

Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure is walking ability, which was measured by the 2-minute walk test (2MWT) and 25-foot walk test (T25FW).

Results: Out of six enrolled participants, two dropped out due to conflicts with scheduling. Four participants completed the 12-week program. All 4 remaining participants showed improvements in motor function from baseline. The average T25FW test time decreased from 5.14 sec to 3.80 sec (p=0.002), representing a walking speed increase from 4.97 ft/sec to 6.94 ft/sec. The average 2MWT distance increased from 534.54 ft to 688.96 ft (p=0.013). Cohen’s D analysis showed a strong effect size for average T25FW time (2.724), walking speed (-1.37) and average 2MWT distance (-1.48).

Conclusions: This study showed that NeuroPONG led to improvements in reaction time, balance and walking speed, as measured by 2-minute walk test and 25 ft walk test in patients with MS. Given our findings, NeuroPONG may be a promising intervention in a small sample to improve gait performance within this patient population.