Conditions: Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive
Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis, chronic progressive Neuroprotective agents Magnetic resonance imaging Optical coherence tomography Gait Thioctic acid Alpha-lipoic acid
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 54
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of the study is to determine if lipoic acid can protect the brain and slow disability in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Detailed description:
There are no approved medications that are neuroprotective or able to slow disability accumulation in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). This two-year study will determine if daily oral intake of lipoic acid, a natural supplement, will prove superior to placebo in reducing injury to the brain and reducing disability progression in SPMS. Neuroprotection will be measured by the extent of brain volume loss seen on MRI, and disability will be measured by neurological status and quality of life.

Arms:
arm 1: 28 subjects receive oral lipoic acid 1200mg daily arm 2: 28 subjects receive placebo daily

Interventions: intervention 1: lipoic acid intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: 1200 mg taken by mouth daily starting on day one of the study and ending on the last day of study participation. intervention 2: The placebo comparator will be taken by mouth daily starting on day one of the study and ending on the last day of study participation

Protocol document: