NCT00629005

Strength Training and Stroke

Should We Train Strength or Skill in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation?

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1 / Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (actual)
• Sponsor: US Department of Veterans Affairs · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 85 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

People with stroke experience weakness and incoordination. Studies have shown that with functional task practice, people can increase motor control and strength to a certain extent. This study will investigate whether adding progressive resistance strength training to functional task practice modeled after Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy results in greater motor function gains than functional task practice alone

Detailed description

To date most investigations of UE rehabilitation have examined single interventions. However, combining 2 efficacious interventions may enhance effectiveness. Both functional task training and strength training are beneficial for promoting improved upper extremity function, but they have seldom been studied as a coupled therapy. The research proposed in this project will examine the effect on UE function of adding UE resistive exercises to functional task training. Secondary aims are to examine the effect of stroke severity on the response to therapy, the interrelationship between therapy-induced neural changes and movement composition and functional changes with therapy, and test for retention of UE function gains over 6 months. Individuals with chronic hemiparesis from stroke will complete baseline testing and then be randomly assigned to either the functional task + strength training group or the functional task training alone group. Each group will train 4 hours/day, 3 days/week for 4 weeks. Each will perform 3 hours of functional task training per session. The strengthening group will then complete 1 hour of UE progressive resistance exercises while the functional task training alone group will complete gravity eliminated range of motion exercises for 1 hour. All subjects will be post-tested and then complete follow-up testing 6 months later.

Conditions

• Stroke

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy + strength training	Participants wears a mitt on non-paretic hand for 90% of waking hours and completes 3 hours of functional task practice (e.g., flipping cards, putting coins in coin slot, putting cans on a shelf) plus 1 hour of resistance elastic band exercises
BEHAVIORAL	Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy + range of motion	Participants wears a mitt on non-paretic hand for 90% of waking hours and completes 3 hours of functional task practice (e.g., flipping cards, putting coins in coin slot, putting cans on a shelf) plus 1 hour of unresisted arm movements for

Timeline

• Start date: 2008-02-01
• Primary completion: 2011-07-01
• Completion: 2011-09-01
• First posted: 2008-03-05
• Last updated: 2013-01-29

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States