Imaging of 3D Innervation Zone Distribution in Spastic Muscles From High-density Surface EMG Recordings

October 13, 2020 updated by: Sheng Li, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Imaging of 3D Innervation Zone Distribution in Spastic Muscles From High-density Surface

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if it is possible to use a new 3D imaging method to guide Botulinum neurotoxin (BTX) injection for muscle spasticity management after stroke. This imaging method is called three dimensional innervation zone imaging, or 3DIZI.

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.
17

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 4

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

  • United States
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 70030
        • The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

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

21 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • a history of not more than one stroke which occurred at least 6 months prior to study enrollment;
  • elbow flexor spasticity rated at 2 or 3 on Modified Ashworth scale (MAS);
  • receiving repeated botulinum toxin injection every 3-4 months;
  • absence of excessive pain in the paretic upper limb;
  • capacity to provide informed consent, with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) must be 25 or higher;

The following modified Ashworth scale (MAS) will be used for spasticity assessment:

0 -No increase in muscle tone; 1 -Slight increase in muscle tone, manifested by a catch and release or by minimal resistance at the end of the range of motion when the affected part(s) is moved in flexion or extension; 1+ -Slight increase in muscle tone, manifested by a catch, followed by minimal resistance throughout the remainder (less than half) of the ROM; 2 -More marked increase in muscle tone through most of the ROM, but affected part(s) easily moved; 3 -Considerable increase in muscle tone, passive movement difficult; 4 -Affected part(s) rigid in flexion or extension.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • recent botulinum toxin injection < 4 months;
  • recent changes in antispastic medications <3 weeks (i.e., the antispastic medication regime is not stable;
  • Changes in antispastic medications (such as baclofen, tizanidine, dantrolene etc) during the followup research visits. (NOTE: it is clinically rare for patients who receive repeated injections to change their antispastic medications);
  • history of spinal cord injury or traumatic brain damage;
  • history of serious medical illness such as cardiovascular or pulmonary complications;
  • any condition that, in the judgment of a physician, would prevent the person from participating.

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: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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.
Active Comparator: Standard BTX injection (ultrasound guided)
For standard injection procedures, target muscles will be visualized under ultrasound imaging which is operated by an experienced and dedicated technician. Position of needle tip within the target muscle is visualized prior to injection. Ultrasound guidance can help ensure depth of needle tip location, i.e., to make sure the needle tip is within the muscle, but it is not able to tell where it is located with reference to the IZs of the entire muscle.
Drug: Botulinum neurotoxin (BTX)
Each patient will receive BTX injections in 2 sites. 100 units at double dilution will be injected at each site.
Other Names:
  • Botox
Other: Physical Therapy
Standard physical therapy will be ordered to both groups as part of standard of care for patients after BTX injections to maximize the outcomes.
Device: Standard BTX injection (ultrasound guided)
For standard injection procedures, target muscles will be visualized under ultrasound imaging which is operated by an experienced and dedicated technician. Position of needle tip within the target muscle is visualized prior to injection. Ultrasound guidance can help ensure depth of needle tip location, i.e., to make sure the needle tip is within the muscle, but it is not able to tell where it is located with reference to the innervation zones (IZs) of the entire muscle.
Experimental: 3-dimensional innervation zone (3DIZ) guided injection
In the IZ-guided injection technique, IZ location obtained using the 3DIZ will be first marked over the skin surface of the muscle and the depth of the IZ will be also provided. The 3DIZ will be applied to the IZ-guided injection group 1 day prior to scheduled injection. The surface location and depth information of the IZ will be used to guide where the needle tip needs to go. Currently, patients commonly receive 1 to 2 injection sites, occasionally 3 sites for biceps muscles. To standardize the procedure, we will choose 2 sites for all patients.
Drug: Botulinum neurotoxin (BTX)
Each patient will receive BTX injections in 2 sites. 100 units at double dilution will be injected at each site.
Other Names:
  • Botox
Other: Physical Therapy
Standard physical therapy will be ordered to both groups as part of standard of care for patients after BTX injections to maximize the outcomes.
Device: 3-dimensional innervation zone (3DIZ) guided injection
Simultaneous surface EMG and intramuscular EMG measurements will be acquired from the spastic biceps of the patients. Patients will be seated comfortably on a height-adjustable chair. The arm to be tested will be secured firmly on a customized apparatus with the elbow joint at approximately 90° of flexion and the shoulder at approximately 45° of abduction and 30° of flexion. The 128-channel unipolar surface EMG signals will be recorded with 2 flexible 2-dimensional 64-channel surface electrode array. A coating fine wire electrode will be inserted into the mid-axial section of the biceps to record bipolar intramuscular EMG signals. Ultrasound scan will be performed on the biceps to identify the location of the inserted wire electrode. Patients will be asked to contract their impaired biceps to perform maximum voluntary contraction of elbow flexion against the vertical plates 3 times.

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
Spasticity as Assessed by Reflex Torque of Elbow Flexors
Time Frame: baseline (1 day prior to BTX injection)
Each subject will receive a total of 60 degrees of computer-controlled elbow extension stretching at different speeds. The stretch ends at 10 degrees beyond the resting angle of the elbow joint during standing to offset the baseline difference among subjects. From the angle-torque relations, reflex torque is obtained after subtracting passive torque at 5˚/sec from those at 50˚/sec or 100˚/sec. Reflex torque is considered to reflect the neural component of muscle spasticity.
baseline (1 day prior to BTX injection)
Spasticity as Assessed by Reflex Torque of Elbow Flexors
Time Frame: 3 weeks after BTX injection
Each subject will receive a total of 60 degrees of computer-controlled elbow extension stretching at different speeds. The stretch ends at 10 degrees beyond the resting angle of the elbow joint during standing to offset the baseline difference among subjects. From the angle-torque relations, reflex torque is obtained after subtracting passive torque at 5˚/sec from those at 50˚/sec or 100˚/sec. Reflex torque is considered to reflect the neural component of muscle spasticity.
3 weeks after BTX injection
Spasticity as Assessed by Reflex Torque of Elbow Flexors
Time Frame: 3 months after BTX injection
Each subject will receive a total of 60 degrees of computer-controlled elbow extension stretching at different speeds. The stretch ends at 10 degrees beyond the resting angle of the elbow joint during standing to offset the baseline difference among subjects. From the angle-torque relations, reflex torque is obtained after subtracting passive torque at 5˚/sec from those at 50˚/sec or 100˚/sec. Reflex torque is considered to reflect the neural component of muscle spasticity.
3 months after BTX injection

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
Spasticity as Assessed by the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS)
Time Frame: baseline (1 day prior to BTX injection)

The following modified Ashworth scale (MAS) will be used for spasticity assessment:

0 -No increase in muscle tone;

1 -Slight increase in muscle tone, manifested by a catch and release or by minimal resistance at the end of the range of motion when the affected part(s) is moved in flexion or extension;

1+ -Slight increase in muscle tone, manifested by a catch, followed by minimal resistance throughout the remainder (less than half) of the ROM; 2 -More marked increase in muscle tone through most of the ROM, but affected part(s) easily moved; 3 -Considerable increase in muscle tone, passive movement difficult; 4 -Affected part(s) rigid in flexion or extension.
baseline (1 day prior to BTX injection)
Spasticity as Assessed by the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS)
Time Frame: 3 weeks after BTX injection

The following modified Ashworth scale (MAS) will be used for spasticity assessment:

0 -No increase in muscle tone;

1 -Slight increase in muscle tone, manifested by a catch and release or by minimal resistance at the end of the range of motion when the affected part(s) is moved in flexion or extension;

1+ -Slight increase in muscle tone, manifested by a catch, followed by minimal resistance throughout the remainder (less than half) of the ROM; 2 -More marked increase in muscle tone through most of the ROM, but affected part(s) easily moved; 3 -Considerable increase in muscle tone, passive movement difficult; 4 -Affected part(s) rigid in flexion or extension.
3 weeks after BTX injection
Spasticity as Assessed by the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS)
Time Frame: 3 months after BTX injection

The following modified Ashworth scale (MAS) will be used for spasticity assessment:

0 -No increase in muscle tone;

1 -Slight increase in muscle tone, manifested by a catch and release or by minimal resistance at the end of the range of motion when the affected part(s) is moved in flexion or extension;

1+ -Slight increase in muscle tone, manifested by a catch, followed by minimal resistance throughout the remainder (less than half) of the ROM; 2 -More marked increase in muscle tone through most of the ROM, but affected part(s) easily moved; 3 -Considerable increase in muscle tone, passive movement difficult; 4 -Affected part(s) rigid in flexion or extension.
3 months after BTX injection

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.
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of Houston

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Sheng Li, MD, PhD, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

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 (Actual)

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 21, 2017

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 18, 2019

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.
November 18, 2019

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).
October 1, 2017

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.
October 1, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

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.
October 5, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
November 5, 2020

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.
October 13, 2020

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.
October 1, 2020

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.
  • HSC-MS-17-0174

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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