Clinical trial NCT02785419: Action Selection and Arm Rehabilitation After Stroke
Official title: Targeted Engagement of the Motor Action Selection Network During Arm Rehabilitation After Stroke
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Stroke
Keywords: Rehabilitation
Upper Extremity
Physical Therapy
Lead sponsor: University of South Carolina
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2016-05-27
Enrollment: 32
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: After stroke, individuals often have persistent difficulty using the arm and hand in everyday functional tasks that reduces quality of life. Currently available rehabilitation techniques are not adequate and new protocols are needed that are based on an understanding of how brain regions work together to produce skilled movement. This research project aims to improve our understanding of how the brain controls movement after stroke and determine whether a period of motor practice that targets specific brain regions through the addition of action selection demands leads to improved arm function. We hypothesize that arm motor function and the ability to efficiently activate the action selection motor circuit during movement will improve after training.

Detailed description: Rehabilitation of arm impairment after stroke includes the repetitive practice of functional tasks. In healthy adults, planning plays a vital role in the control of skilled movement, however, the behavioral and neural correlates of planning have largely been unexplored in individuals recovering from stroke. Action selection is an important motor planning process that engages dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) in controls. While PMd activation is a commonly reported neural correlate of motor recovery after stroke, the role of PMd in action selection and motor training are not known. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the effect of training that includes action selection demands on the behavioral and neural correlates of movement after stroke. Thirty-eight individuals in the chronic phase of stroke will be recruited. After completion of clinical measures of impairment and function, all participants with stroke will complete a motor action selection task and functional MRI followed by arm training. Arm training will consist of three weeks (15 sessions) of arm motor training (1.5 hours per session) that includes action selection demands on movement. Follow-up clinical testing will occur at the end of treatment and three weeks later.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* At least 18 years old
* Had stroke at least 6 months ago
* Right-hand dominant prior to stroke
* Some continued arm and hand weakness
* Some ability to move the arm and hand that is weaker from the stroke

Exclusion Criteria:

* Acute medical issues that would interfere with participation
* Another neurologic diagnosis that may impact movement (e.g. Parkinson's Disease)
* Cannot undergo MRI scanning
* Severe apraxia or hemispatial neglect
* Pain in the arm that interferes with movement
* Difficulty maintaining attention or following directions

Primary outcomes:
measure: Action Research Arm Test
timeFrame: Change from baseline to end of treatment (3 weeks)
measure: Brain activation during functional MRI
timeFrame: Change from baseline to end of treatment (3 weeks)
measure: Brain connectivity during functional MRI
timeFrame: Change from baseline to end of treatment (3 weeks)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment
timeFrame: Change from baseline to end of treatment (3 weeks)
measure: Stroke Impact Scale Hand Domain
timeFrame: Change from baseline to end of treatment (3 weeks)
measure: Box & Blocks Test
timeFrame: Change from baseline to end of treatment (3 weeks)
measure: 9-Hole Peg Test
timeFrame: Change from baseline to end of treatment (3 weeks)
measure: Grip Strength
timeFrame: Change from baseline to end of treatment (3 weeks)
measure: Confidence in Arm and Hand Movements Questionnaire
timeFrame: Change from baseline to end of treatment (3 weeks)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Columbia
country: United States
facility: University of South Carolina
state: South Carolina
Study officials:
References: