Bilateral Movement Training for People With Stroke

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Stroke; Cerebrovascular Accident; Cardiovascular Disease; Brain Injury
• Interventions: Procedure: Bilateral movement training

• Registration Number: NCT02247674
• Lead Sponsor: Chueh-Ho Lin

Brief Summary

The investigators hypothesized that bilateral handgrip force training would result in significant improvements in paretic hand, arm movements and daily functional performances. In order to investigate whether the improvement of paretic hand could facilitate the motor recovery of paretic arm and functional performances, the investigators also hypothesized that motor recovery and functional performances improvements of paretic arm and hand have strongly correlation.

Detailed Description

Objective: To investigate the training effects of interlimb force coupling training on paretic hand and upper extremity outcomes in patients with chronic stroke; to analyze the relationship between motor recovery of paretic hand, arm and functional abilities.

Design: A double-blind randomized controlled trial with outcome assessment at baseline and after 4 weeks intervention.

Setting: Department of physical medicine and rehabilitation in Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

Participants: Thirty-three subjects (mean age = 55.1 ± 10.5 y/o) with chronic stroke were recruited and randomized assigned to training (n=16) and control group (n=17).

Interventions: Interlimb force coupling training task included different gripforce generation on the both hands.

Main Outcome Measures: Barthel Index (BI), and the upper extremity motor control of Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-UE), Motor Assessment Score (MAS), and the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT). All assessment was executed by a blinded evaluator, and data management and statistical analysis was also conducted by a blinded statistic researcher.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2012-11
• Primary Completion: 2013-05
• Study Completion: 2013-10
• Study First Submitted: 2014-08-31
• Status Verified: 2014-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-09-19
• Last Update Submitted: 2014-09-19
• Study First Posted: 2014-09-25
• Last Update Posted: 2014-09-25

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 33

Inclusion Criteria

1. at least 6 months since stroke
2. three or fewer incidents of unilateral stroke confirmed by taking the participant's medical history ability to follow researcher's instructions
3. ability to flex and extend the paretic arm and hand
4. Modified Ashworth Score (MAS) ≦3 for wrist and finger joints
5. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score should 24 or higher
6. no other orthopedic neurological disorders
7. Brunnstrom stage 3 or 4
8. no joint in other experimental rehabilitation or drug studies 21

Exclusion Criteria

1. unstable cardiovascular conditions
2. uncontrolled hypertension (190/110 mm Hg)
3. severe orthopedic or pain conditions
4. dementia (Mini-Mental State Examination score < 22)
5. aphasia with inability to follow researcher's commands
6. severe joint contracture of bilateral upper extremities that would impact the movement performances of upper extremities

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Education & training consultation	Bilateral movement training	Education and training consultations were provided for subjects in control group during study period.
Bilateral movement training	Bilateral movement training	Exercise training of bilateral isometric handgrip force training group consisted of 60 minutes of bilateral isometric handgrip force training 3 days per week for 4 weeks (total 12 sessions)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Upper Extremity motor control of Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-UE)	before and after 4 weeks intervention	Outcome measure was assessed before and after 4 weeks intervention.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Barthel Index (BI)	before and after 4 weeks intervention	Outcome measure was assessed before and after 4 weeks intervention.
Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT)	before and after 4 weeks intervention	Outcome measure was assessed before and after 4 weeks intervention.
Motor Assessment Score (MAS)	before and after 4 weeks intervention	Outcome measure was assessed before and after 4 weeks intervention.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Taipei Veterans General Hospital; 🇨🇳 Taipei, Taiwan