NCT02036866

Corticospinal Excitability and Rehab in Knee Osteoarthritis

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 61 (actual)
• Sponsor: Creighton University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 19 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

To determine differences in thigh muscle function in individuals with and without knee arthritis, and also determine the effectiveness of common physical therapy interventions on clinical and patient oriented outcomes.

Detailed description

The primary objective of the proposed research evaluates the concurrent changes in corticospinal excitability and central sensitization of pain pathways for their influence on quadriceps voluntary activation. A secondary objective is to establish the feasibility of an intervention study to determine if changes in the excitability of these supraspinal motor and sensory processes can be modified by physical therapy interventions targeting pain and muscle strengthening. We hypothesize that patients with knee osteoarthritis will show measurable deficits in quadriceps voluntary activation that can be explained by lower levels of corticospinal excitability and increased pain sensitization. A 1 week physical therapy intervention will improve voluntary activation and reduce pain with concurrent changes in underlying motor and sensory processes. We further hypothesize that part of this improvement will be attributed to positive treatment expectation.

Conditions

• Knee Osteoarthritis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation	The TENS electrodes will be applied on the medial and lateral superior, as well as the medial and lateral inferior, borders of the patella. A continuous biphasic pulsatile current (150 Hz, phase duration 150 µs) will be applied at an intensity that produces a comfortable sensation but not a muscle contraction. The duration of intervention will be 8 hours per day for 1 week.
OTHER	Physical Therapy Exercises	Patients will be given detailed verbal and hands-on instruction in a home exercise program. This program will consist of 6 exercises modeled from established protocols focuses on improving lower extremity strength. Patients will be instructed to do the exercises daily and to progress the exercises over the week for a maximum of 30 repetitions per day for 1 week.
OTHER	No Intervention	Patients will be instructed to maintain their usual activity level.

Timeline

• Start date: 2013-11-01
• Primary completion: 2015-06-01
• Completion: 2015-06-01
• First posted: 2014-01-15
• Last updated: 2015-12-14

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States