Clinical trial NCT06892574: Rehabilitation Paired with VNS for Motor Function Recovery
Official title: A Trial of Rehabilitation Paired with VNS for Motor Function Recovery in Post-ICH Patients (Recovery Study)
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Motor Function
Upper Extremity Injury
Rehabilitation
Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Keywords: Stroke
Hemorrhagic Stroke
Upper Extremity Paresis
Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Neuromodulation
Randomized Controlled Trial
Rehabilitation
Lead sponsor: First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Beijing Pins Medical Co., Ltd
First posted: 2025-03-25
Enrollment: 10
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 22
Maximum age (years): 79
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the efficacy and safety of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) combined with rehabilitation in improving upper extremity motor function after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Researchers will evaluate the efficacy and safety of VNS by comparing the improvements of arm motor function post-ICH in the active VNS combined rehabilitation group with that in the sham VNS combined rehabilitation group (actual intensity 0 mA).

Participants in this study will undergo a surgical procedure to implant the VNS system and will subsequently recieve a 6 weeks in-clinic therapy, followed by an additional 6 weeks home exercise. During the final 6 weeks, participants will either recieve in-clinic therapy or maintain their home exercise, depending on their assigned group.

Detailed description: There are 6 follow-up timepoints in this trial:

1. Screening follow-up timepoint (V1): All participants will sign the informed consent form and receive pre-implant evaluation, including physical examination, brain magnetic resonance imaging, FMA-UE, WMFT, modified Ashworth scale, ect.
2. Surgery follow-up timepoint (V2): All participants will be implanted with the VNS system, including the G115R IPG and L312 lead.
3. Baseline follow-up timepoint (V3): There is a baseline evaluation 7 to 14 days after the surgery, then participants will be randomly assigned to VNS group or Control group.
4. Clinic rehabilitation follow-up timepoint (V4): Participants will receive standard clinic rehabilitation 3 days per week and lasting 6 weeks. Both active VNS group (VNS group) and sham VNS group (Control group) will receive rehabilitation. Participants will be evaluated at the last day of this follow-up timepoint.
5. Home exercise follow-up timepoint (V5): Participants will take standard home exercise everyday in 6 weeks. Both active VNS group (VNS group) and sham VNS group (Control group) will receive rehabilitation. At the last day, after evaluating, group assignment is unblinded.
6. Unmasking follow-up timepoint (V6): In this 6 weeks, all participants will receive active VNS. Participants in VNS group will still take standard home exercise, and participants in Control group will receive standard clinic rehabilitation again. Participants will be also evaluated at the last day of this follow-up timepoint.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age ≥22 years and \<80 years, all gender is acceptable.
* History of unilateral supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage ≥ 6 months but \< 5 years.
* Upper Extremity motor section of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment score ≥20 and ≤50.
* Right- or left-sided weakness of upper extremity.
* Ability to communicate, understand, and give appropriate consent. Subjects can follow trial commands.
* Subjects have good compliance and can complete the visits after surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of ischemic stroke.
* Cerebral hemorrhage resulting from tumors, trauma, aneurysms, or hemorrhagic transformation of ischemic stroke.
* Presence of ongoing dysphagia or aspiration difficulties.
* Prior injury to vagus nerve, either bilateral or unilateral.
* Subject receiving medication that may significantly interfere with actions of VNS on neurotransmitter systems at study entry, clinic rehabilitation follow-up timepoint, or home rehabilitation follow-up timepoint, such as centrally acting cholinoceptor blockers, centrally acting adrenoceptor blockers, norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitors, etc.
* Botox injections within 4 weeks prior to enrollment through the unmasking follow-up timepoint (Visit 6).
* Severe spasticity of the upper extremity (Modified Ashworth ≥ 3).
* Significant sensory loss of the upper extremity (Upper Extremity sensory section of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment score \< 6).
* Current requirement, or likely future requirement, of diathermy.
* Current use of any other stimulation device, such as a pacemaker or other neurostimulator.
* Pregnancy or plans to become pregnant or to breastfeed during the study period.
* Participated in any other clinical trials within the preceding 3 months.
* Not considered to be applicable by the investigator.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Upper Extremity Motor Section of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-UE) Average Change
timeFrame: V4, 6 weeks after baseline follow-up timepoint
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Upper Extremity Motor Section of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-UE) Response
timeFrame: V4, 6 weeks after Baseline follow-up timepoint; V5, 6 weeks after Clinic rehabilitation follow-up timepoint
measure: Upper Extremity Motor Section of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-UE) Average Change
timeFrame: V5, 6 weeks after Clinic rehabilitation follow-up timepoint; V6, 6 weeks after Home exercise follow-up timepoint
measure: Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) Average Change
timeFrame: V4, 6 weeks after Baseline follow-up timepoint; V5, 6 weeks after Clinic rehabilitation follow-up timepoint; V6, 6 weeks after Home exercise follow-up timepoint
measure: Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) Response
timeFrame: V4, 6 weeks after Baseline follow-up timepoint; V5, 6 weeks after Clinic rehabilitation follow-up timepoint
measure: EQ-5D-3L Average Change
timeFrame: V4, 6 weeks after Baseline follow-up timepoint; V5, 6 weeks after Clinic rehabilitation follow-up timepoint; V6, 6 weeks after Home exercise follow-up timepoint
measure: Incidence of Adverse Events
timeFrame: V4, 6 weeks after Baseline follow-up timepoint; V5, 6 weeks after Clinic rehabilitation follow-up timepoint; V6, 6 weeks after Home exercise follow-up timepoint
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University
name: Fuxin Lin
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: