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Effects of Electromyographic Visual Feedback for Spinal Accessory Nerve Dysfunction After Neck Dissection

Chang Gung Medical Foundation logo

Chang Gung Medical Foundation

Status

Completed

Conditions

Oral Cancer

Treatments

Other: scapular-focused exercise
Other: visual feedback

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04476004
201901788A3

Details and patient eligibility

About

Patients with head and neck cancer and undergo neck dissection often suffer from spinal accessory nerve dysfunction (e.g. shoulder droop, shoulder pain, and decreased active range of motion (AROM) of the shoulder joint and scapular muscle strength), even the spinal accessory nerve is preserved during surgery. Abnormal muscle activities of scapular muscles, including upper trapezius (UT), middle trapezius (MT), lower trapezius (LT), serratus anterior (SA) and rhomboid were reported in subsequent research articles. Particularly for the trapezius muscle, the decreased amplitudes were observed even after 9 months of neck dissection. It has been reported that conscious correction of scapular orientation during arm movement could increase trapezius muscle activities, and motor control training could change scapular kinematic such as increased posterior tilt and upward rotation during arm movement.

Full description

Patients with head and neck cancer and undergo neck dissection often suffer from spinal accessory nerve dysfunction (e.g. shoulder droop, shoulder pain, and decreased active range of motion (AROM) of the shoulder joint and scapular muscle strength), even the spinal accessory nerve is preserved during surgery. Abnormal muscle activities of scapular muscles, including upper trapezius (UT), middle trapezius (MT), lower trapezius (LT), serratus anterior (SA) and rhomboid were reported in subsequent research articles. Particularly for the trapezius muscle, the decreased amplitudes were observed even after 9 months of neck dissection. It has been reported that conscious correction of scapular orientation during arm movement could increase trapezius muscle activities, and motor control training could change scapular kinematic such as increased posterior tilt and upward rotation during arm movement.

The aim of this study is to explore the effects of electromyographic (EMG) visual feedback on scapular muscle activities and strength in oral cancer survivors with spinal accessory nerve dysfunction. Investigators will recruit 60 newly diagnosed oral cancer subjects through the plastic surgeon's referral from January 2020 to February 2021. The participants will be randomized separated into experimental or control group. Each group would receive regular physical therapy for shoulder function (e.g. transcutaneous electrical stimulation, shoulder joint range of motion exercise) and scapular-focused exercise. EMG visual feedback would be combined with scapular-focused exercise.

Enrollment

24 patients

Sex

All

Ages

20 to 65 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • newly diagnosed oral cancer subjects with neck dissection
  • age between 20 and 65 years
  • having the clinical signs of neck-dissection related shoulder dysfunction (e.g. shoulder droop, limited AROM of shoulder abduction, and insufficient muscle strength of shoulder abduction to against gravity)

Exclusion criteria

  • were pregnant or breastfeeding
  • had distant metastasis or recurrence
  • were unable to communicate or comprehend the questionnaires
  • had a history of shoulder dysfunction before neck dissection (e.g. shoulder pain, tendinitis, tendon rupture, shoulder capsulitis, or neuropathy)
  • had any disorder that could influence movement performance
  • bilateral neck dissection

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Single Blind

24 participants in 2 patient groups

experimental group
Experimental group
Description:
EMG group
Treatment:
Other: visual feedback
Other: scapular-focused exercise
control group
Active Comparator group
Description:
exercise group
Treatment:
Other: scapular-focused exercise

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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