Assessment of Electrotactile Sensory Discrimination Across Young Adults, Older Adults, and Stroke Survivors for Neurorehabilitation Feedback Design
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 尚未招募
- 入组人数
- 80
- 主要终点
- Just Noticeable Difference for Electrotactile Sensory Discrimination
研究概览
简要总结
The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare sensory discrimination ability for electrotactile stimulation among young adults, older adults, and patients with stroke. Participants will receive non-invasive electrotactile stimulation through electrodes attached to the skin of the upper limb, such as the fingertip, palm, elbow, or shoulder, depending on the stimulation condition.
The study will assess discrimination thresholds for changes in stimulation frequency and amplitude, as well as temporal resolution using a gap-in-noise detection task. Task accuracy and reaction time will also be evaluated. In selected experimental conditions, electroencephalography (EEG) will be recorded non-invasively from the scalp during electrotactile stimulation to investigate neural responses associated with electrotactile sensory processing.
The results are expected to provide foundational data for sensory assessment, electrotactile feedback design, and sensory-based rehabilitation technologies for older adults and patients with stroke.
详细描述
Accurate perception of sensory information is essential for movement control and interaction with the external environment. It is also important for providing precise feedback during motor rehabilitation. Aging and neurological injury, such as stroke, can affect tactile and proprioceptive information processing. These changes are important considerations when designing sensory-feedback-based rehabilitation approaches and assistive devices.
Electrotactile stimulation can be delivered non-invasively through the skin surface. By controlling stimulation frequency, amplitude, and temporal features, electrotactile stimulation can convey different types of tactile information. Because perception of electrotactile stimulation may vary according to individual sensory sensitivity, age, and neurological status, quantitative assessment of electrotactile information processing across participant groups is needed.
The just noticeable difference (JND) is a quantitative measure of the minimum detectable difference between stimuli. In this study, frequency and amplitude JNDs will be used to evaluate discrimination ability for changes in electrotactile stimulation frequency and amplitude. Temporal sensory resolution will be evaluated using a gap-in-noise (GIN) detection task, in which participants detect brief interruptions embedded within continuous electrotactile stimulation. Task accuracy and reaction time will also be analyzed to characterize sensory sensitivity, information processing, and response characteristics.
The study will include three participant groups: young adults, older adults, and patients with stroke. Young and older adult participants will visit the laboratory on two consecutive days and perform electrotactile sensory discrimination tasks. Patients with stroke will participate in a single study visit. Before the main experiment, patients with stroke will undergo preliminary assessments of handedness, cognitive function, upper-limb motor function, proprioception, cutaneous sensation, and hand function.
For each participant, the stimulation range will be individualized based on sensory thresholds. The perception threshold (PT), defined as the voltage at which the participant first perceives electrotactile stimulation, and the discomfort threshold (DT), defined as the voltage at which the participant first begins to feel discomfort, will be measured. Stimulation amplitude used during the experimental tasks will be set within the range between PT and DT and will remain below DT. If a participant reports discomfort or pain during the experiment, stimulation will be stopped immediately.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Non Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Other
- 盲法
- None
盲法说明
No masking will be used because participants are grouped according to age and clinical status, and the study procedures involve behavioral electrotactile sensory discrimination tasks.
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 19 Years 至 70 Years（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Young Adult Group:
- •Age 19 to 54 years.
- •Has tactile sensation in the hands and fingers.
- •Provides voluntary written informed consent personally or through a legally authorized representative, if applicable.
- •Older Adult Group:
- •Age 55 to 70 years.
- •Has tactile sensation in the hands and fingers.
- •Provides voluntary written informed consent personally or through a legally authorized representative, if applicable.
- •Stroke Patient Group:
- •Age 19 years or older.
- •Diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.
- •Stroke confirmed by CT or MRI.
- •Stroke accompanied by proprioceptive sensory impairment.
- •Residual tactile sensation in the fingertip.
- •Provides voluntary written informed consent personally or through a legally authorized representative,
排除标准
- •Young and Older Adult Groups:
- •Absence of tactile sensation in the hands or fingers.
- •Congenital deformity of the hands or fingers.
- •Presence of a major pre-existing neurogenic disease.
- •Presence of a major psychiatric disorder, such as major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or dementia.
- •Implanted pacemaker.
- •Stroke Patient Group:
- •Difficulty communicating due to K-MMSE score < 23, severe language impairment, or similar condition.
- •Absence of tactile sensation in the hands or fingers.
- •Congenital deformity of the hands or fingers.
- •Severe pain during elbow joint or finger movement.
- •Progressive or unstable stroke.
- •Presence of hemispatial neglect.
- •Presence of a major pre-existing neurogenic disease.
- •Presence of a major psychiatric disorder, such as major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or dementia.
- •Implanted pacemaker.
研究组 & 干预措施
Young adults
Participants aged 19 to 54 years with tactile sensation in the hands and fingers. Participants in this group will perform electrotactile sensory discrimination tasks to assess discrimination thresholds for stimulation frequency, stimulation amplitude, and temporal gaps, as well as task accuracy and reaction time. This group may also complete both focused and cognitive load conditions.
干预措施: Electrotactile Sensory Discrimination Tasks (Behavioral)
Older adults
Participants aged 55 to 70 years with tactile sensation in the hands and fingers. Participants in this group will perform electrotactile sensory discrimination tasks to assess discrimination thresholds for stimulation frequency, stimulation amplitude, and temporal gaps, as well as task accuracy and reaction time. This group may also complete both focused and cognitive load conditions.
干预措施: Electrotactile Sensory Discrimination Tasks (Behavioral)
Stroke patients
Participants aged 19 years or older who have been diagnosed with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke confirmed by CT or MRI and who have proprioceptive sensory impairment with residual tactile sensation in the fingertip. Participants in this group will undergo preliminary assessments of cognitive function, upper-limb motor function, proprioception, cutaneous sensation, and hand function before performing electrotactile sensory discrimination tasks. Stroke patients will participate in a single study visit and will not undergo the cognitive load condition to minimize fatigue and experimental burden.
干预措施: Electrotactile Sensory Discrimination Tasks (Behavioral)
结局指标
主要结局
Just Noticeable Difference for Electrotactile Sensory Discrimination
时间窗: During the experimental session, up to 2 days for young and older adult participants and 1 day for stroke patients
The just noticeable difference (JND) will be calculated as the minimum detectable difference for electrotactile stimulation frequency and amplitude, and as the threshold for detecting temporal gaps in stimulation during the electrotactile sensory discrimination tasks.
次要结局
- Reaction Time During Electrotactile Sensory Discrimination Tasks(During the experimental session, up to 2 days for young and older adult participants and 1 day for stroke patients)
研究者
Hangue Park
Associate Professor
Sungkyunkwan University