Randomized Trials of Robotic Rehabilitation, Mirror Therapy, and Dose-Matched Control Intervention for Upper-Limb Rehabilitation in Patients With Chronic Stroke: Comparative Efficacy and Clinimetric Study
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Enrollment
- 100
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA)
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this proposal is 1) to compare the relative effects of the robotic rehabilitation (RR), mirror therapy (MT), and conventional intervention (CI), 2) to compare the effects of the combined therapy of the RR-Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) and the RR-Placebo Intervention (PI), and 3) to identify the clinical predictors that will potentially influence the functional outcomes after interventions.
Detailed Description
Motor deficit of upper extremity is one of the prominent problems in patients with stroke. Looking for effective and efficient treatments to improve affected UE function is of great importance in the field of rehabilitation. Two emerging movement therapies in stroke rehabilitation are robotic rehabilitation (RR) and mirror therapy (MT). Scientific evidence for comparative effectiveness research of RR versus MT versus CI on functional outcomes (e.g., motor, muscle, sensory, and daily functions) in stroke patients is limited. In addition, studies showed FES induced some improvements in individual movements at the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fingers or in muscle strength in patients with moderate-to-severe paresis. The combination therapy of the FES and training protocols may increase the benefits of standard rehabilitative treatments and may also facilitate motor learning. However, the combined training effects of the RR and FES on stroke patients have not been well studies in a larger sample yet. Specific objectives of this proposed research are as follows: First, The investigators will compare the efficacy of the RR, MT, and conventional rehabilitation. Secondly, the investigators will compare the efficacy of the RR-FES versus RR-PI on outcome measures. Thirdly, the investigators will identify the clinical predictors that will potentially influence the functional outcomes after interventions.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Factorial
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 40 Years to 75 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Willing to provide the written informed consent
- •More than 6 months onset of unilateral stroke
- •An initial 25-56 or 18-50 scores on the UE subtest of the FMA
- •Sufficient cognitive ability (Mini Mental State Examination ≧ 24 points)
- •Without upper limb fracture within 3 months
Exclusion Criteria
- •Recurrent of stroke or seizure episode during the intervention
- •Occurence of serious or continuous pain on affected upper-extremity
- •History of other neurological disease or severe orthopaedic condition
Arms & Interventions
Robotic Rehabilitation with FES
Robotic rehabilitation combined Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)
Intervention: Robotic rehabilitation with FES (Behavioral)
Mirror Therapy
Mirror Therapy (MT)
Intervention: Mirror Therapy (Behavioral)
Conventional Rehabilitation
Conventional Rehabilitation (CR) mainly focuses on occupational therapy training
Intervention: Conventional Rehabilitation (Behavioral)
Robotic Rehabilitation
Robotic Rehabilitation (RR)
Intervention: Robotic Rehabilitation (Behavioral)
Robotic Rehabilitation with PI
Robotic rehabilitation with Placebo Intervention (RR-PI)
Intervention: Robotic Rehabilitation with PI (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA)
Time Frame: Change from baseline in FMA at 4 weeks, change from baseline in FMA at 8 weeks, change from baseline in FMA at 16 weeks, change from baseline in FMA at 28 weeks
The upper-extremity subscale of the FMA contains 33 items to assess motor impairment. Each item is scored on a 3-point ordinal scale (0-cannot perform, 1-performs partially, 2-performs fully and correctly).
Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS)
Time Frame: Change from baseline in MAS at 4 weeks, change from baseline in MAS at 8 weeks, change from baseline in MAS at 16 weeks, change from baseline in MAS at 28 weeks
The MAS is a 5-point ordinal scale to evaluate muscle tone of upper-extremity. Higher score indicates a more severe hypertonia.
Functional independence measure (FIM)
Time Frame: Change from baseline in FIM at 4 weeks, change from baseline in FIM at 8 weeks, change from baseline in FIM at 16 weeks, change from baseline in FIM at 28 weeks
The FIM consists of 18 items grouped into 6 subscales measuring self-care, sphincter control, transfer, locomotion, communication, and social cognition ability. Each item is rated from 1 to 7 based on the required level of assistance to perform the tasks.
Movement units (MU)
Time Frame: Change from baseline in MU at 4 weeks
The parameter of movement units is collected by a 7-camera motion analysis system (VICON MX 3-D, Oxford Metrics Inc., Oxford, UK) from unilateral and bilateral reaching tasks of pressing the desk bell. One acceleration phase and one deceleration phase constitute a MU. The number of MU indicates the movement smoothness.
Total displacement (TD)
Time Frame: Change from baseline in TD at 4 weeks
The TD is collected by a 7-camera motion analysis system (VICON MX 3-D, Oxford Metrics Inc., Oxford, UK) from unilateral and bilateral reaching tasks of pressing the desk bell. TD refers to the path of a hand shifting in three-dimensional space and is a measurement of trajectory smoothness.
Percentage of peak velocity (PPV)
Time Frame: Change from baseline in PPV at 4 weeks
PPV is collected by a 7-camera motion analysis system (VICON MX 3-D, Oxford Metrics Inc., Oxford, UK) from unilateral and bilateral reaching tasks of pressing the desk bell. PPV indicates the percentage of acceleration phase among the whole movement process. It is an outcome measurement of pre-motor planning ability.
Reaction time (RT)
Time Frame: Change from baseline in RT at 4 weeks
The reaction time is collected by a 7-camera motion analysis system (VICON MX 3-D, Oxford Metrics Inc., Oxford, UK) from unilateral and bilateral reaching tasks of pressing the desk bell. RT is the time required to prepare a motor response toward an external signal and indicates speed of motor planning.
Action Research Arm Test (ARAT)
Time Frame: Change from baseline in ARAT at 4 weeks, change from baseline in ARAT at 8 weeks, change from baseline in ARAT at 16 weeks, change from baseline in ARAT at 28 weeks
The ARAT assesses the ability to handle objects with 19 items divided into 4 subscales of grasp, grip, pinch, and gross movement by 4-level ordinal scale. Higher the score, better the performance.
Medical Research Council scale (MRC)
Time Frame: Change from baseline in MRC at 4 weeks, change from baseline in MRC at 8 weeks, change from baseline in MRC at 16 weeks, change from baseline in MRC at 28 weeks
The MRC scale assesses muscle power with scores ranging from 0 (no contraction) to 5 (normal power). The muscle strength of shoulder flexors/abductors, elbow flexors/extensors, wrist flexors/extensors, and finger extensors are graded.
MYOTON-3
Time Frame: Change from baseline in MYOTON-3 at 4 weeks, change from baseline in MYOTON-3 at 8 weeks, change from baseline in MYOTON-3 at 16 weeks, change from baseline in MYOTON-3 at 28 weeks
MYOTON-3 is used to assess muscle tone of the affected upper limb. There are three measurement parameters in the MYOTON-3: F - Frequency, Hz, characterizing muscle tone; D - Decrement, characterizing muscle elasticity; and S - Stiffness, N/m, characterizing muscle stiffness.
Accelerometers
Time Frame: Change from baseline in accelerometers at 4 weeks, change from baseline in accelerometers at 8 weeks, change from baseline in accelerometers at 16 weeks, change from baseline in accelerometers at 28 weeks
Accelerometers are used to provide a direct and objective measure of the amount of the impaired arm movement outside the laboratory. In this project, acceleration is sampled at 10 Hz and summed over a user- specified epoch. The recording epoch in this study is 2 seconds; recording capacity is approximately 72 hours.
Peak velocity (PV)
Time Frame: Change from baseline in PV at 4 weeks
PPV is collected by a 7-camera motion analysis system (VICON MX 3-D, Oxford Metrics Inc., Oxford, UK) from unilateral and bilateral reaching tasks of pressing the desk bell. PV corresponds to the changeover from the acceleration to the deceleration phase and is related to the force produced.
Trunk related Kinematic variables
Time Frame: Change from baseline in trunk related kinematic variables at 4 weeks
The parameter of movement units is collected by a 7-camera motion analysis system (VICON MX 3-D, Oxford Metrics Inc., Oxford, UK) from unilateral and bilateral reaching tasks of pressing the desk bell. These parameters include trunk displacement, trunk flexion angular change, trunk-arm delay, shoulder flexion \& trunk flexion correlation, and elbow extension \& trunk flexion correlation. These variables indicate the degree of trunk compensatory movement and interjoint coordination.
Secondary Outcomes
- Motor Activity Log (MAL)(Change from baseline in MAL at 4 weeks, change from baseline in MAL at 8 weeks, change from baseline in MAL at 16 weeks, change from baseline in MAL at 28 weeks)
- ABILHAND Questionnaire(Change from baseline in ABILHAND at 4 weeks, change from baseline in ABILHAND at 8 weeks, change from baseline in ABILHAND at 16 weeks, change from baseline in ABILHAND at 28 weeks)
- Stroke Impact Scale Version 3.0 (SIS 3.0)(Change from baseline in SIS at 4 weeks, change from baseline in SIS at 8 weeks, change from baseline in SIS at 16 weeks, change from baseline in SIS at 28 weeks)
- Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living Scale (NEADL)(Change from baseline in NEADL at 4 weeks, change from baseline in NEADL at 8 weeks, change from baseline in NEADL at 16 weeks, change from baseline in NEADL at 28 weeks)
- revised Nottingham Sensory Assessment (rNSA)(Change from baseline in rNSA at 4 weeks, change from baseline in rNSA at 8 weeks, change from baseline in rNSA at 16 weeks, change from baseline in rNSA at 28 weeks)
- Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Sensory (FMA-S)(Change from baseline in FMA-S at 4 weeks, change from baseline in FMA-S at 8 weeks, change from baseline in FMA-S at 16 weeks, change from baseline in FMA-S at 28 weeks)
- 8-OHdG: A Biomarker of Oxidative Stress(Change from baseline in 8-OHdG at 4 weeks, change from baseline in 8-OHdG at 8 weeks, change from baseline in 8-OHdG at 16 weeks, change from baseline in 8-OHdG at 28 weeks)
- Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory (MFSI)(Change from baseline in MFSI at 4 weeks, change from baseline in MFSI at 8 weeks, change from baseline in MFSI at 16 weeks, change from baseline in MFSI at 28 weeks)