NCT04688229

Motor Recovery Training for Hand and Digits in Stroke and SCI

Hummingbird: Advancing Technology for Motor Recovery in Hand and Fingers for Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 24 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 90 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study will use evaluate a hand therapy device training isolated finger control with engaging video gaming technology to facilitate hand and digit recovery in patients with acute stroke and cervical spinal cord injury. This study will randomize patients to either standard rehabilitation care with added study-related motor training or standard rehabilitation care alone.

Detailed description

The purpose of this project is to develop a usable bedside hand therapy device that that takes advantage of early neuroplasticity following stroke and cervical spinal cord injury (SCI), to retrain functionally relevant movement in individual fingers of the neurologically impaired hand. It is well established in neuroscience that neural recovery and neuroplasticity at the level of cortex in animals and humans is dependent on active motor practice. In this pilot project the investigators will determine and assure that this second-generation device, which has not yet been used in humans, is usable in the clinical setting and that patients with stroke and cervical SCI find it a meaningful tool for relearning hand movement. The investigators will also assess whether use of the device daily for 2 weeks results in improved functional hand use, improve finger strength and improved ability to control individual finger movements. Although these abilities are foundational to functional manipulation of objects with the hand, there is presently no specific therapeutic interventions, nor time available in conventional early (acute) rehabilitation to address these goals. Thus, early intensive hand recovery is an obvious but unmet need in neurorehabilitation. The goals for this one-year project are determine if the device: 1. can facilitate improve hand function. 2. can improve finger strength and individuation. 3. is usable in a clinical setting and serves as a meaningful therapy tool to patients with stroke and cervical SCI. If successful, this project will lead to a refined therapy protocol in preparation for a larger clinical trial to establish efficacy of this training approach for both stroke and cervical spinal cord injury. Both stroke and SCI populations were chosen as this tool could potentially have benefit for both groups. In addition, studying both patient populations provides generalizability to a wider group of individuals needing rehabilitation. If outcomes are suggestive of efficacy this device will evaluated in a large multi-center pivotal trial in preparation for transition to the clinical marketplace as new rehabilitation technology that has proven scientific evidence supporting its efficacy in early hand rehabilitation.

Conditions

• Acute Stroke
• Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Hummingbird hand training device plus standard of care rehabilitation	The Hummingbird is a comprehensive hardware and software platform that isolates the hand, wrist, and forearm in a neutral and comfortable position, allowing linear force and angular torque to be measured at the finger-tips between 0-10 Newtons at milli-newton resolution at 100 Hz per digit, in 5 degrees of freedom simultaneously, in real-time, for all 5 digits. The platform allows isolating and characterizing fine resolution forces with sufficient sensitivity and resolution to record data in severe paralysis. The platform also comprises therapeutic software to train exploratory, individuated, and inter-digit complex finger movements by coupling force and torque output to NeuroAnimation physics-based virtual interface in engaging therapeutic experiences.
OTHER	Comparison (sham) intervention	During each hour of sham therapy the therapist will select cognitive tasks (e.g. puzzles and games) targeted to a level of difficulty based on the subjects ability. No grasping or object manipulation using the target upper limb will be included in this intervention. Rather, the participant will use either the unaffected limb (or non-targeted limb for SCI subjects) as needed for any particular puzzle or game.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-10-20
• Primary completion: 2022-02-27
• Completion: 2022-05-27
• First posted: 2020-12-29
• Last updated: 2021-09-21