NCT05760885

Multisensory Augmentation for Post-stroke Standing Balance

Multisensory Augmentation to Improve the Standing Balance of People With Chronic Stroke

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: EARLY_Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 36 (estimated)
• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Many individuals who experience a stroke have problems with their balance. In part, these balance problems may be due to sensory issues. This study will test whether sensory augmentation has the potential to improve post-stroke balance. Sensory augmentation is a method by which non-invasive vibration is used to enhance the sensory information available to users, which may make it easier to feel where they are and prevent losses of balance.

Detailed description

The objective of this study is to design a novel multisensory augmentation approach to improve the control of standing balance in people with chronic stroke. With sensory augmentation, artificial feedback provides the nervous system with information about the dynamic state of the body, which can be used to prevent losses of balance. This clinical trial will investigate whether multisensory augmentation produces sustained balance improvements when applied as a training device. These potential improvements will be assessed by comparing the results of clinical and biomechanical assessments before and after a 10-week balance training program, in which half of the participants will be randomly assigned sensory augmentation.

Conditions

• Stroke

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Balance training with sensory augmentation	Participants will complete 20 balance training sessions, in which they are required to keep their balance while standing on a platform that translates under their feet. During training, sensory augmentation will be delivered with an intensity controlled in real-time by their center of pressure motion. The difficulty of the balance training task will progressively increase over successive training sessions.
BEHAVIORAL	Balance training	Participants will complete 20 balance training sessions, in which they are required to keep their balance while standing on a platform that translates under their feet. During training, no sensory stimulation will be delivered. The difficulty of the balance training task will progressively increase over successive training sessions.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-01-14
• Primary completion: 2027-01-01
• Completion: 2027-01-01
• First posted: 2023-03-08
• Last updated: 2026-01-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States