NCT06357247

The Effect of SRS on Hemiplegia in Stroke Survivors

The Effect of SRS on Hemiplegia in Stroke Survivors: A Feasibility Study

• Status: Suspended
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Strokes are one of the leading causes of long term disability and death in the United States. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked, damaging parts of the brain. Many stroke survivors have difficulty completing dexterous hand movements and manipulating objects due brain damage in the sensorimotor cortex. Damage to these areas can cause decreased motor movements and tactile sensation on the affected side. Research shows that tactile sensation is necessary for maintaining grip, grading grip forces and decreasing object slippage. Therefore, it is important to address tactile sensation with motor performance during stroke rehabilitation to improve performance outcomes among stroke survivors.

Detailed description

A novel intervention that has shown immediate improvements in tactile sensation is called stochastic resonance stimulation. SRS is a phenomenon where cutaneous sensation can be enhanced with the presence of tactile noise in a nonlinear system. This theory suggests that the application of an imperceptible vibrotactile stimulation increases the synchronization of afferent neurons firing to the somatosensory cortex, ultimately increasing the excitability of mechanoreceptors in the skin suggesting that afferent signals from the periphery to the somatosensory cortex influence motor movements. However, more research is needed to document the changes in motor performance with the use of SRS and it is unclear how SRS stimulation changes different measurable sensory processing differences

Conditions

• Stroke

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Sensory Threshold	Using a light, vibrotactile noise device on the participant's affected wrist. The actuator will be positioned on both the dorsal and volar sides of the wrist. Each participant's sensory threshold will be measured using the method of ascending and descending limits
BEHAVIORAL	Nine Hole Peg Test	The Nine-Hole Peg Test (NHPT) is considered as a gold standard measure of manual dexterity and most frequently used in MS research and clinical practice. The score for the 9-HPT is an average of the four trials. The two trials for each hand are averaged, converted to the reciprocals of the mean times for each hand and then the two reciprocals are averaged. On average, healthy male adults complete the NHPT in 19.0 seconds (SD 3.2) with the right hand, and in 20.6 seconds (SD 3.9) with the left hand.
BEHAVIORAL	Semmes Weinstein Monofilament Assessment	A non-invasive, low-cost, simple, and accurate handheld calibrated nylon thread that buckles once it has delivered a force of 10 g. It provides a standardized measure of a patient's ability to sense a point of pressure. The filaments are classified from grade 1 to 5 according to their thickness: 1.65-2.83 = grade 5, 3.22-3.61 = grade 4, 3.84-4.31 = grade 3, 4.56-6.45 = grade 2, and 6.65 = grade 1.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-03-04
• Primary completion: 2026-04-01
• Completion: 2026-04-01
• First posted: 2024-04-10
• Last updated: 2026-02-10

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States