Clinical trial NCT02882334: Finger Individuation Training With a Training Device Versus Conventional Rehabilitation for Writer's Cramp
Official title: Effectiveness Study of Finger Individuation Training by Finger Force Manipulandum (FFM) Compared to Conventional Rehabilitation for Patients With Writer's Cramp
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: TERMINATED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Dystonic Disorders
Keywords: Focal Dystonia
Writer's cramp
Lead sponsor: Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild
Sponsor class: NETWORK
Collaborators: name: Foundation Jacques and Gloria Gossweiler
First posted: 2016-08-29
Enrollment: 26
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 70
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: Writer's cramp (WC) is a focal dystonia characterized by abnormal movements and postures during writing. Limited finger independence during writing manifests as difficulty suppressing unwanted activations of neighbouring non task-relevant fingers. WC patients also have difficulty in fine control of grip force. However, some previous studies indicate positive effects of individual finger movement training in WC although these studies lacked enhanced visual feedback of activations in 'stationary' fingers. The investigators have recently developed the Finger Force Manipulandum which quantifies the forces applied by the fingers in different tasks. This method is sensitive for detection and quantification of small unwanted contractions in non-active ('stationary') fingers. Forces in 'stationary' fingers can be displayed on-line providing enhanced feedback on independence of finger movements. The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness of finger individuation training using the FFM to improve symptoms in WC patients.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* writer's cramp (diagnostic confirmed by a neurologist specialized in movement disorders
* handwriting speed \< 140 letters per minute
* simple or complex writer's cramp
* scholarship in French language
* absence of treatment by botulinum neurotoxin, or last injection \> 3 months
* age \> 18 and \< 71 years
* informed consent
* medical insurance coverage

Exclusion Criteria:

* writer's cramp with no impact on writing
* writing tremor
* other neurological disease with effect on writing
* pain or traumatism of the limb used for writing, requiring medical or surgical treatment in the last preceding months
* participation in another research with a potential impact on evaluation criteria
* pregnant or breast feeding patient
* patient under judiciary protection

Primary outcomes:
measure: change in writing speed after rehabilitation
timeFrame: Change from baseline writing speed at week 8
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Paris
country: France
facility: Fondation Ophtalmologique A. de Rothschild
Study officials:
affiliation: Fondation OPH A de Rothschild
name: Jean-Pierre BLETON, PhD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Inserm U894
name: Pavel Lindberg, PhD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
affiliation: Fondation OPH A de Rothschild
name: Sophie SANGLA, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: