Physical activity in pediatric multiple sclerosis—can lifestyle factors affect disease outcomes?

Currently, little to no information is available about interventions that can ameliorate symptoms such as depression and fatigue in children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis (MS), nor is there clear information on modifiable factors that can provide neuroprotection in this population. However, physical activity (PA) may have significant effects on disease activity, future disability, cognition, and symptoms of depression and fatigue in pediatric MS. The extent of this effect is unknown. In this paper, after providing an overview of definitions of and outcomes in pediatric MS, we provide a review of existing literature relating PA to outcomes in MS, and then turn to a review of the complex relationship between PA, neuroinflammation, and outcomes in the pediatric population.