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Early Versus Delayed Treatment of Unilateral Neglect After Stroke

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Spatial Neglect After Stroke
Registration Number
NCT01341574
Lead Sponsor
University Ghent
Brief Summary

'Unilateral neglect' is a disorder that occurs regularly after stroke. It is caused by right- as well as left-sided brain lesions, but more often by right-sided lesions. Patients with this disorder neglect the contralesional side of space and/or their body. Their body axis is often shifted ipsilesionally. A specific disorder that can appear in neglect patients is 'contraversive pushing': a postural deviation to the neglected side because the patient pushes himself away from the ipsi- to the contralesional side.

One of the most promising neglect interventions is prism adaptation (PA): inducing an optical shift of the visual field by means of prism glasses. This results in a modulation of brain areas involved in neglect and in an improvement of the neglect symptoms and postural deviation.

Research questions:

1. Which period is best suited to maximize therapeutic effects? In this respect the effects of early and delayed PA will be compared, regarding neglect-, postural and cerebral measures.

2. Which factors lead to a less favorable treatment outcome or to therapy resistance for PA?

3. Will the impact of PA be larger if postural factors are taken into account in the prism therapy?

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
100
Inclusion Criteria
  • male or female
  • > 17 years of age
  • stroke patients with clinical neglect, demonstrated by neglect tests
Exclusion Criteria
  • severe ocular abnormalities
  • not being able to perform prism adaptation or neglect tests

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
effect of prism adaptationBriefly after and 3 months after therapy cycle.

The effect of Prism Adaptation (PA) will be evaluated regarding the degree of neglect, postural control and cerebral functioning, briefly after the therapy cycle and 3 months later. Briefly after the PA sessions and three months later, in patients in the early as well as the delayed phase after stroke:

* early: PA starting within 4 weeks after stroke;

* delayed: PA starting 2 months after stroke;

* OR divided in an early and a delayed group according to the median.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
The degree of well-being.Briefly after and 3 months after therapy cycle.

Questionnaires about emotional and functional status.

Briefly after the Prism Adaptation (PA) sessions and 3 months later, in patients in the early as well as the delayed phase after stroke:

* early: PA starting within 4 weeks after stroke;

* delayed: PA starting 2 months after stroke;

* OR divided in an early and a delayed group according to the median.

Trial Locations

Locations (3)

Rehabilitation Hospital "Hof ter Schelde"

🇧🇪

Antwerp, Belgium

Ghent University Hospital, Center for Locomotor and Neurological Rehabilitation

🇧🇪

Ghent, Belgium

Ghent University Hospital, Department of Neurology

🇧🇪

Ghent, Belgium

Rehabilitation Hospital "Hof ter Schelde"
🇧🇪Antwerp, Belgium

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