NCT00125658

Mechanisms of Upper-Extremity Motor Recovery in Post-stroke Hemiparesis

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 14 (actual)
• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The results of this study will provide sound, scientific evidence of physiologic mechanisms responsible for upper-extremity weakness; evidence of the processes involved in neuromuscular adaptation; and will elucidate the relationship between impairment and motor disability in post-stroke hemiparesis.

Detailed description

This proposal extends the work accomplished in our initial study (project #B2405R, 'Effects of Strength Training on Upper-limb Function in Post-stroke Hemiparesis'). In the present study we will conduct a double-blind, randomized clinical trial of staged rehabilitation for the upper-extremity involving sequential delivery of functional therapy and high intensity resistance training. Therefore, this proposal directly compares the effects of functional and resistance training delivered individually. The researchers' previous work investigated a hybrid therapy of functional and resistance training against functional training alone. All subjects will participate in a 5 week run-in period of no treatment. This no-treatment block will afford multiple baseline measurements and, in addition, will provide information regarding the rate and magnitude of any spontaneous recovery without treatment. Following the second baseline measurement, all subjects will be randomized to upper-extremity rehabilitation in either: Order A - 10 weeks of functional task practice training (FTP) followed by 10 weeks of high-intensity resistance training (Power) or Order B - resistance training (Power) followed by FTP. Re-evaluation will occur following each block of treatment,and retention effects will be evaluated after 6 and 12 months with no additional treatment. Subjects will be evaluated with: outcome measures used broadly in Clinical Neurology and Rehabilitation, a battery of biomechanical performance measures including: strength, muscle activation, reflex modulation, and motor coordination, and with kinematics of free reaching movements. The researchers will investigate persons in the intermediate phase of recovery which they define as between 6 and 18 months post-stroke , having completed all inpatient and outpatient therapies, with remaining residual motor deficits.

Conditions

• Cerebrovascular Accident

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Control	Following an initial testing session, you will complete a 5 week no training period. At the end of this period you will then participate in a 20 week therapy program - 10 weeks of Functional Task Practice (FTP) followed by 10 weeks of Power training (dynamic resistance exercise). Each 10 week block has 30 therapy sessions for a total of 60 sessions, each lasting approximately 1-1/2 hours. Follow up evaluations will be scheduled at 6 months and 12 months after completion of the entire 20 week therapy program.
OTHER	Experimental	Following an initial testing session, you will complete a 5 week no training period. At the end of this period you will then participate in a 20 week therapy program - 10 weeks of Power training (dynamic resistance exercise) followed by 10 weeks of Functional Task Practice (FTP). Each 10 week block has 30 therapy sessions for a total of 60 sessions, each lasting approximately 1-1/2 hours. Follow up evaluations will be scheduled at 6 months and 12 months after completion of the entire 20 week therapy program.

Timeline

• Start date: 2008-02-01
• Primary completion: 2009-06-01
• Completion: 2011-09-01
• First posted: 2005-08-01
• Last updated: 2017-06-23
• Results posted: 2017-06-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States