Robot-Aided Assessment and Rehabilitation of Upper Extremity Function After Stroke

Sponsor
University of Maryland, Baltimore (Other)
Overall Status
Not yet recruiting
CT.gov ID
NCT05854485
Collaborator
(none)
24
1
2
10.9
2.2

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

The purpose of this clinical trial is to investigate the efficacy of a hybrid-based rehabilitation program for the upper extremity(UE) combining the interventions- Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) and Robotic rehabilitation in individuals with chronic stroke. The main question it aims to answer is if the Hybrid multi-muscle FES+Robot upper extremity rehabilitation is more effective in improving the upper extremity motor impairments and function as compared to robotic upper extremity training alone.

Condition or Disease Intervention/Treatment Phase
  • Combination Product: REACH robotic training and multi-muscle Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) group
  • Combination Product: Robot only group
N/A

Detailed Description

Individuals with chronic stroke(> 6months after stroke) will be recruited. All participants will complete clinical and kinematic assessments at 2 time points(baseline and after 6 weeks training). Each participant will receive 18 sessions of 60 minute upper extremity training over 6 weeks.

Study participants will be randomly assigned to receive either of the following upper extremity training- 1. Hybrid multi-muscle FES+Robot training group or 2.Robot only training group.

The following clinical assessments to measure the motor impairments and functional recovery will be performed: Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity, Modified Ashworth Scale, and Wolf Motor Function Test.

Kinematic assessments will be conducted using the REACH robotic device and the Kinereach/trakStar system. The following kinematic parameters will be collected: Smoothness, Range of Motion, and Speed.

Study Design

Study Type:
Interventional
Anticipated Enrollment :
24 participants
Allocation:
Randomized
Intervention Model:
Parallel Assignment
Masking:
Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose:
Treatment
Official Title:
Robot-Aided Assessment and Rehabilitation of Upper Extremity Function After Stroke
Anticipated Study Start Date :
Jun 1, 2023
Anticipated Primary Completion Date :
Feb 28, 2024
Anticipated Study Completion Date :
Apr 28, 2024

Arms and Interventions

Arm Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Hybrid multi-muscle FES+Robot

Participants will be receive hybrid upper extremity training involving the combination of REACH robotic device and multi-muscle FES. Water based electrodes will be positioned on the Triceps, Anconeus, wrist and finger extensors. Stimulation intensity of FES will be set at the participants tolerance level. The FES induced muscle contraction timing will be triggered in synchrony with the robotic movement. The training will be a multi-directional reach movement and hand opening re-training.

Combination Product: REACH robotic training and multi-muscle Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) group
Participants in this group will receive multi-muscle FES during arm robotic training

Active Comparator: Robot only

Participants will receive upper extremity training with the REACH robotic device. The training will be a multi-directional reach movement re-training.

Combination Product: Robot only group
Participants in this group will receive arm robotic training only

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

  1. Kinematic Assessment:Smoothness in 1/s2 [Change from Baseline Smoothness at 6 weeks]

    This measure will be collected as the participants performs target reaching out and in movements of the arm. Smoothness will be collected from the REACH robotic device to determine the kinematic changes in the reaching movements. Kinereach/trakStar system will also be utilized to conduct kinematic assessment and determine the translation of training effects into functional upper extremity use.

  2. Kinematic Assessment:Speed in cm/seconds [Change from Baseline Speed at 6 weeks]

    This measure will be collected as the participants performs target reaching out and in movements of the arm. Speed will be collected from the REACH robotic device to determine the kinematic changes in the reaching movements. Kinereach/trakStar system will also be utilized to conduct kinematic assessment and determine the translation of training effects into functional upper extremity use.

  3. Kinematic Assessment:Range of Motion(ROM) in cms [Change from Baseline ROM at 6 weeks]

    This measure will be collected as the participants performs target reaching out and in movements of the arm. ROM will be collected from the REACH robotic device to determine the kinematic changes in the reaching movements. Kinereach/trakStar system will also be utilized to conduct kinematic assessment and determine the translation of training effects into functional upper extremity use.

Secondary Outcome Measures

  1. Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity(FMA-UE) [Change from Baseline FMA-UE at 6 weeks]

    FMA-UE is a standard measure for the clinical assessment of motor impairment. FMA mainly evaluates the degree of synergy pattern during volitional movements, along with reflex activity and coordination. It is based on 33 items and scores range from 0 to 66. A higher score means better motor function.

  2. Modified Ashworth Scale of muscle spasticity (MAS) [Change from Baseline MAS at 6 weeks]

    The MAS is a measurement of spasticity across specific muscle groups. The grading of spasticity ranges from 0 to 5 with higher score indicating worse functioning.

  3. Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) [Change from Baseline WMFT at 6 weeks]

    WMFT is a function based test designed to measure upper extremity movements and movement speed during functional tasks. The WMFT consists of 17 items, of which 15 measure time to perform functional tasks and 2 strength-based tasks. Two types of scores are recorded during the task:WMFT-TIME(completing time of the task) and WMFT-FAS(functional abilities of the paretic upper extremity). The maximum score of WMFT-TIME is 120 seconds, and a higher score means slower movement. WMFT-FAS is scored from 0 to 5, and a higher score indicates higher level of functional performance, better quality of the paretic upper extremity during the task.

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:
22 Years to 85 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study:
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
No
Inclusion Criteria:
  1. Individuals with chronic stroke(>6months post stroke)

  2. Age-22-85 years old

  3. Ability to perform a Upper Extremity forward reach of about 3 inches

Exclusion Criteria:
  1. Upper Extremity co-morbidities-pain, arthritis, and other neurological disorders

  2. Unable to tolerate electrical stimulation

  3. Have implants such as pacemaker, spinal cord or deep brain stimulator

  4. Have an elbow contracture of greater than 150 degrees

  5. Receiving Botox injections within 3 months

Contacts and Locations

Locations

Site City State Country Postal Code
1 University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland United States 21201

Sponsors and Collaborators

  • University of Maryland, Baltimore

Investigators

None specified.

Study Documents (Full-Text)

None provided.

More Information

Publications

Responsible Party:
Kelly Westlake, Associate Professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT05854485
Other Study ID Numbers:
  • HP-00105650
First Posted:
May 11, 2023
Last Update Posted:
May 16, 2023
Last Verified:
May 1, 2023
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
No
Plan to Share IPD:
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product:
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product:
No
Keywords provided by Kelly Westlake, Associate Professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Study Results

No Results Posted as of May 16, 2023