Influence of Timing on Motor Learning

University of California Irvine (UCI)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cerebrovascular Accident

Treatments: Other: Conventional Arm Exercise; Device: MusicGlove; Device: Resonating Arm Exerciser; Other: Conventional hand exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01769326

R43HD074331-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

HS# 2008-6432

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this research study is to compare different methods for training hand movement at home after stroke. This study involves research because it will test two experimental devices, the MusicGlove and the Resonating Arm Exerciser (RAE), compared to conventional hand and arm exercises. The MusicGlove is a glove that measures finger movements and allows its user to play a musical computer game using those movements. The RAE is a lever that attaches to a manual wheelchair with elastic bands and can be pushed back and forth to exercise the arm.

Full description

The purpose of this research study is to compare different methods for training hand movement at home after stroke. This study involves research because it will test two experimental devices, the MusicGlove and the Resonating Arm Exerciser (RAE), compared to conventional hand and arm exercises. The MusicGlove is a glove that measures finger movements and allows its user to play a musical computer game using those movements. The RAE is a lever that attaches to a manual wheelchair with elastic bands and can be pushed back and forth to exercise the arm.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18 to 80 years of age
• Sustained a single stroke affecting the arm, at least three months prior to enrollment
• Minimal to moderate lost motor control of the arm after stroke
• No active major psychiatric problems, or neurological/orthopedic problems affecting the stroke-affected upper extremity
• No active major neurological disease other than the stroke
• Absence of pain in the stroke-affected upper extremity

Exclusion criteria

• Severe tone at the affected upper extremity
• Severe aphasia
• Severe reduced level of consciousness
• Severe sensory/proprioception deficit at the affected upper extremity
• Currently pregnant
• Difficulty in understanding or complying with instructions
• Inability to perform the experimental task that will be studied
• Increased pain with movement of the stroke-affected upper extremity

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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40 participants in 4 patient groups

MusicGlove Group

Experimental group

Description:

Subject participates in 3 weeks of exercising with the experimental device: MusicGlove at a minimum of 3 days per week, 1 hour per day with the exercise program

Treatment:

Device: MusicGlove

Control Group for Music Glove

Active Comparator group

Description:

Subject participates in 3 weeks of conventional hand exercise program, at a minimum of 3 days per week, 1 hour per day with the exercise program.

Treatment:

Other: Conventional hand exercise

Resonating Arm Exerciser (RAE)

Experimental group

Description:

Subject participates in 3 weeks of exercising with the experimental device: RAE at a minimum of 3 days per week, 1 hour per day with the exercise program

Treatment:

Device: Resonating Arm Exerciser

Control Group for RAE

Active Comparator group

Description:

Subject participates in 3 weeks of conventional arm exercise program, at a minimum of 3 days per week, 1 hour per day with the exercise program.

Treatment:

Other: Conventional Arm Exercise