Exoskeletal Support in Stroke
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
This interventional study will measure motor performance, including 3D movement analysis and muscle activity, in response to exoskeleton assistance. The cohort design will compare stroke patients to healthy controls. Data collection will be conducted in a single, 2-hour session. Investigators will also access stroke patients' brain MRIs that were obtained as standard of care during acute admission for stroke.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Patients with History of Stroke Individuals with history of stroke more than 6 months prior to enrollment. Participants will complete 3 blocks of 54 trials in a single session. Block 1 is a baseline phase where subjects will perform reaches without any loads applied via the exoskeleton devices. Block 2 is the intervention block where bilateral exoskeletons apply gravity assistance to the impaired arm for stroke survivors and gravity resistance to the non-impaired arm. Block 3 is a retention block, where tested procedures are identical to block 1. |
Device: Oculus Rift headset
The Oculus Rift is a commercially-available virtual reality (VR) headset. It is used to present the visual environment in which participants perform the reaching task.
Device: Exoskeleton Device
The exoskeleton was designed and constructed to provide either gravity assistance or gravity resistance. It applies a torque to both shoulders. Torque values do not exceed 50% of the torque due to gravity. The device is mounted to a testing chair and attached to the participant using Velcro straps.
|
| Experimental: Healthy Controls Healthy age and gender-matched control participants. Participants will complete 3 blocks of 54 trials in a single session. Block 1 is a baseline phase where subjects will perform reaches without any loads applied via the exoskeleton devices. Block 2 is the intervention block where bilateral exoskeletons apply gravity assistance to the non-dominant arm and resistance is applied to the dominant arm in healthy controls. Block 3 is a retention block, where tested procedures are identical to block 1. |
Device: Oculus Rift headset
The Oculus Rift is a commercially-available virtual reality (VR) headset. It is used to present the visual environment in which participants perform the reaching task.
Device: Exoskeleton Device
The exoskeleton was designed and constructed to provide either gravity assistance or gravity resistance. It applies a torque to both shoulders. Torque values do not exceed 50% of the torque due to gravity. The device is mounted to a testing chair and attached to the participant using Velcro straps.
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Change in Relative Contribution (RC) Level [Baseline, End of VR Task (Day 1 - session lasts approx. 2 hours)]
Measured via arm trajectory analysis as a percentage (%); evaluates arm control.
- Change in Muscle Contribution (MC) Level [Baseline, End of VR Task (Day 1 - session lasts approx. 2 hours)]
Measured via electromyographical analysis as a percentage (%); evaluates arm control.
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Corticospinal Tract (CST) Lesion Load [Baseline]
Measured via MRI; lesion load is expressed as percentage of the entire CST.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
Healthy controls:
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Having obtained the age of 18 years
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Neurologically healthy (i.e., no history of: traumatic brain injury, peripheral neuropathy, seizures, etc.)
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Strongly right-handed according to at least 80% score on the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (Oldfield, 1971; Veale, 2013). The use of right-handed participants is a common feature in this field of study. This is due to the slight differences in arm control between left- and right-handed individuals (Sainburg & Kalakanis, 2000).
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Ability to give informed consent
Survivors of stroke:
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Having obtained the age of 18 years
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have a diagnosis of stroke more than six months prior to entry into the study;
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have the ability to reach, unsupported, to approximately 70% of arm length
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ability to give informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
All participants
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have any conditions that limit their capability of using a Head Mounted Display (HMD) for a VR environment or cooperate with the protocol.
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have any orthopedic injuries to the upper extremities.
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Have neurological injuries other than stroke.
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Have excessive pain in any joint of either arm that could limit the ability to cooperate with the protocols.
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Visuospatial neglect
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Apraxia
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Global inattention
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Legal blindness
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NYU Langone Health (222 East 41st Street) | New York | New York | United States | 10017 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- NYU Langone Health
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Heidi Schambra, MD, NYU Langone Health
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- 23-00842