View clinical trials related to Upper Extremity Dysfunction.
Filter by:To evaluate the usefulness of an upper extremity assistive device, called (MyoPro) in improving upper extremity activities in people with incomplete spinal cord injury. The Department of Defense is supporting this study.
The study aims to inform the subsequent large-scale clinical trial focused on using telerehabilitation techniques and technologies to improve upper limb function and quality of life.
Upper extremities are the first part of the body to be affected by Parkinson's disease. Although studies have shown that virtual reality-assisted rehabilitation methods are effective on gait and balance, studies on their use for upper extremity rehabilitation are limited. For this reason, the aim of the project is to examine whether virtual reality supported upper extremity position matching exercises, which will be specially prepared according to joint ranges of motion, will provide functional improvement in the upper extremities of individuals with Parkinson's disease.
Background: Recently, there has been increasing attention on the application of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in ischemic stroke. This innovative technique involves non-invasive electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve. A controlled study by Dawson et al. (2021), conducted using a randomized, double-blind approach, has demonstrated that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) when paired with motor function training, can effectively promote the improvement of motor dysfunction in stroke patients. In the same year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of VNS, alongside motor rehabilitation training, for upper extremity dysfunction caused by stroke. However, it is worth noting that VNS requires surgical procedures with contraindications. Consequently, researchers are exploring taVNS as a potential alternative intervention. Compared to VNS, taVNS offers a low-risk and user-friendly intervention that eliminates the need for surgery and the associated postoperative complications. A recent meta-analysis has shown that the efficacy of taVNS in upper extremity rehabilitation for stroke patients can be comparable to that of VNS. Therefore, pairing taVNS with motor training holds promise as a valuable clinical tool for post-stroke rehabilitation. Methods and Design: This study presents a protocol for a single-center randomized, double-blind controlled trial. A total of 150 participants will be enrolled and randomly assigned to one of three groups (Group 1, Group 2, or Group 3) in a 1:1:1 ratio. Each patient will undergo a total of 14 treatment sessions. In Group 1, patients will receive motor training paired with taVNS. In Group 2, patients will receive motor training and taVNS interventions, seperately. In Group 3, patients will receive motor training paired with sham taVNS. Primary and secondary outcome measures will be assessed at baseline and after taVNS treatment. The primary outcome will be determined by evaluating the behavioral response to treatment, using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity (FMA-UE). Discussion: This study aims to elucidate the role of paired taVNS in the rehabilitation of upper extremity dysfunction in stroke patients. The researchers propose a novel approach by pairing taVNS with individualized training actions, utilizing electromyography (EMG) during motor training to precisely trigger taVNS.
The goal of this prospective, open label cohort study is to assess functional and motor outcomes in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury who have undergone nerve transfer surgery, with the goal of increasing upper limb function. We will also compare these outcomes to a cohort of similarly matched individuals who have not undergone nerve transfer surgery, using robust outcome measures, rigorous pre-operative clinical and neurophysiological assessments, and standardized rehabilitation. At the end of this project we aim to develop a model for predicting nerve transfer outcomes using pre-operative clinical and neurophysiological characteristics.
Stroke is a global health problem and a leading cause of disability. Limitation of upper limb function occurs in 55 -75% of patients after stroke. In recent years, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), have been shown that can promote functional recovery in stroke patients, and multiple studies have reported that low-frequency rTMS stimulation on the motor areas of the unaffected hemispheres of stroke patients can significantly improve motor function of the affected upper limb. The standard procedure for TMS to determine the primary motor area is to measure hotspot, which is used as a common target for movement disorders such as hemiplegia after stroke. In the 1990s, the hands-on task activation point determined by functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) and positron emission computed tomography(PET) studies was located at "Hand Knob" in the primary motor area. The study found that although the hands-on task activation point was closer to hotspot, it was significantly different from hotspot. The hands-on task activation point had stronger functional connection with the whole brain, especially the motor cognition-related brain area. Therefore, this study aims to compare the efficacy of rTMS stimulation on individual rTMS targets(task fMRI activation point) with traditional hotspot in patients with post-stroke hemiplegia. The regulation effect of rTMS was evaluated by using local brain function indicators and functional connections, and the longitudinal change pattern of brain function before and after treatment was observed to explore the therapeutic targets of rTMS for motor dysfunction after stroke and the mechanism of brain functional plasticity.
The primary purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of our proposed intervention approach involving (1) an integrated physiotherapy and exercise intervention for individuals with breast cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy and (2) delivery of programming via an electronic health (eHealth) application. The secondary objective is to determine the efficacy of the program on upper extremity outcomes, general physical fitness, cancer treatment-related symptoms and quality of life.
This study is designed to investigate how musical patterns (e.g., patterned sensory enhancement, PSE) and non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., transcranial direct current stimulation, tDCS) are effective to improve functional upper extremity performances in patients with corticobasal syndrome (CBS). 20 individuals with CBS will be randomly assigned to either PSE group (n= 10) or PSE+tDCS (n=10) group. Both interventions are 30 minutes long, twice a week for three weeks (a total of 6 sessions). Participants' self-reported and measurable outcomes including upper extremity function, kinematic quantities, quality of life, mood, cognitive level, and brain activity (e.g. electroencephalography, EEG) will be assessed in the baseline, pre- and post- each session, and follow-up phase. This study seeks to assess the possibility that music-based intervention and non-invasive brain stimulation may improve outcomes in CBS patients for patients' non-invasive but cost-effective rehabilitation settings in the future.
The injury and remodeling mechanism about upper extremity motor network after stroke is not clear. There are few studies on the motor network covering cortex, white matter and blood perfusion at the time. Some studies have shown that metal imagery activates the cortex through active mental simulation. Our previous study has shown that passive application of transcranial direct current stimulation causes subthreshold polarization and promotes the effective integration of residual brain high-level network. This study proposes a hypothesis: transcranial Direct Current Stimulation + Motor Imagery combines active and passive neuromodulation techniques to produce dual channel effect, which can synergistically excite motor cortex, remodel the motor network and optimize cerebral perfusion. The research contents include clarify the effect of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation + Motor Imagery neuromodulation therapy through comprehensive randomized controlled trial study; present the process of brain injury and secondary neural plasticity through the motor network construction, functional connectivity strength and cerebral perfusion with Blood Oxygen Level Dependent, Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Arterial Spin Labeling multimodal magnetic resonance technology; calculate the correlation between motor score and brain functional network, extract the key nodes that can promote the motor network remodeling. The research results are expected to provide preliminary theoretical foundations for further research on the injury and remodeling mechanism about upper extremity motor network after stroke.
The primary objective of this study is to tailor and test implementation strategies to support the adoption of two upper extremity motor outcome measures for stroke: the Fugl-Meyer Assessment and the Action Research Arm Test. The study's interdisciplinary team will address this objective through the following specific aims: (a) Tailor a package of implementation strategies (referred to as I-STROM-Implementation STRategies for Outcome Measurement) to promote outcome measure use across the care continuum, (b) Determine the effectiveness of I-STROM on outcome measure adoption and (c) Evaluate the appropriateness, acceptability, and feasibility of I-STROM in rehabilitation settings across the country. The mixed-methods study design is informed by implementation science methodologies, and the tailoring of I-STROM will be guided by input from stakeholders, including occupational therapy practitioners and administrators. The investigators will collect robust quantitative and qualitative data by means of retrospective chart reviews, electronic surveys, and stakeholder focus groups. This study, "Strategies to Promote the Implementation of Outcome Measures in Stroke Rehabilitation," will address core barriers to outcome measure use through a package of implementation strategies, thus laying the groundwork for I-STROM scale-up in health systems nationwide.