rTMS and Conventional Physical Therapy After Stroke

June 11, 2013 updated by: Kátia Monte-Silva, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Efficacy of Coupling Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Conventional Physical Therapy to Reduce Upper Limb Spasticity in Stroke Patients

Given previous evidence that non invasive brain stimulation enhances the effects of conventional therapies, this randomized sham-controlled trial with 4-weeks follow-up aimed to determine if the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)combined with conventional physical therapy (VRT) would be superior to physical therapy in improving upper limb function and quality of life with chronic stroke individuals.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Brazil
    • Pernambuco
      • Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, 50740-560
        • Applied Neuroscience Laboratory-LANA

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

26 years to 71 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • stroke onset ≥ 6 months;
  • muscle tone at the wrist with a modified Ashworth scale (MAS) score between 1+ and 3;
  • minimum age of 30 years old and maximum age of 75 years;
  • absence of cognitive impairment, as determined by the cut-off scores on the Mini-mental state exam

Exclusion Criteria:

  • history of seizure or cerebral aneurism;
  • antispasticity drugs within 6 months before enrollment;
  • previous surgery involving metallic implants;
  • unstable vital signs;
  • other neurological diseases
  • aphasia

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: rTMS
The experimental group received rTMS to the primary motor cortex of the unaffected side in 10 sessions, 3 days per week, and conventional physical therapy
Device: rTMS
The subjects were seated in a comfortable chair with head and arm rests. Focal TMS of the motor cortex was performed with a 70-mm figure-8 coil attached to magnetic stimulator stimulation parameters : frequency of 1Hz on the uninjured hemisphere by stroke; 1500 pulses with an intensity of 90% of MT 10 sessions of rTMS, one per day, always before conventional physical therapy
Behavioral: conventional physical therapy
The physical therapy program was composed of the activities of flexibility, transfer and posture, strength, coordination, balance, and sensory stimulation. The physical therapy was applied for about 30 minutes, three days per week.
Sham Comparator: control
The control group received sham stimulation (same area as the experimental group) in 10 sessions, 3 days per week, and conventional physical therapy
Behavioral: conventional physical therapy
The physical therapy program was composed of the activities of flexibility, transfer and posture, strength, coordination, balance, and sensory stimulation. The physical therapy was applied for about 30 minutes, three days per week.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change from Modified Ashworth scale
Time Frame: at baseline, 1 month and 2 months
Modified Ashworth scale (MAS) uses a 6-point scale to score the average resistance to passive movement for each joint. In this study, the tonus of the wrist flexor muscles was tested
at baseline, 1 month and 2 months
change from spinal excitability via Hoffmann reflex of the median nerve
Time Frame: at baseline, 1 month and 2 months
assess the effects of the intervention (rTMS and physical therapy) on spinal excitability as measured by the change The Hmax/Mmax ratio (calculated by dividing the maximal amplitude of the H wave by that of the M wave in median nerve) before (baseline), after treatment and after follow-up
at baseline, 1 month and 2 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
change from Fugl-Meyer assessment
Time Frame: at baseline, 1 month and 2 months
The Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) is considered the gold standard for evaluating the motor function recovery. It is designed to assess motor functioning, balance, sensation, and joint functioning. It is applied within clinical and in research contexts to determine the disease severity, describe motor recovery, and plan and assess interventions. In the present study, the 33-item of the UL section was employed. The items are rated on 3-point ordinal scale, as follows: 0= unable to perform; 1= partial ability to perform; and 2= near normal ability to perform. The UL subscale evaluates motor function recovery in six domains: flexor and extensor synergies, non-synergic movements, wrist and hand movements, and coordination and speed
at baseline, 1 month and 2 months
change from cortical excitability via single transcranial magnetic stimulation
Time Frame: per-session: at baseline and one hour (after physical therapy)
assess the effects of the intervention (rTMS and physical therapy) on motor cortex excitability as measured by the change in motor evoked potential (using transcranial magnetic stimulation) before and after each session
per-session: at baseline and one hour (after physical therapy)

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
change from stroke specific quality of life scale
Time Frame: at baseline, 1 month and 2 months
the stroke specific quality of life scale (SSQOL) is used to provide an assessment of health-related quality of life specific to patients with stroke. The scale is a self-report (reference to the past two weeks) containing 49 items distributed into 12 domains (mobility, energy, upper extremity function, work/productivity, mood, self-care, social roles, family roles, vision, language, thinking and personality), rated on a 5-point scale. The total score (maximum 245) and the upper extremity function scores (maximum of 25) can be considered for analyses. The Brazilian version of the SSQOL was used in this study
at baseline, 1 month and 2 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 1, 2011

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 1, 2012

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 6, 2013

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 11, 2013

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 12, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 12, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 11, 2013

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • rTMS_Physical Therapy_stroke

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