Effects of the Additional Weight on the Reaching Behavior of Pre Term Infants With Low Birth Weight

February 21, 2019 updated by: Prof. Rodrigo Luiz Carregaro, University of Brasilia

Effects of the Additional Weight on the Reaching Behavior of Preterm Infants With Low Birth Weight: Randomized Controlled Trial

The effects of additional weight on early motor skills of infants have been increasingly studied. During the reaching behavior, the additional weight has been shown benefits in certain kinematic variables in full term and preterm infants. There is a growing interest in the study of populations at risk for motor development, especially considering interventions based on functional activities with the purpose of improving the neuromotor control, functional capacity and muscle strength. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of a functional training with additional weight in the reaching behavior of preterm infants with low birth weight and to compare the effects with a full term population. A controlled and randomized trial will be carried out with full term infants of adequate birth weight and preterm infants with low birth weight at 6 months of chronological or corrected age. The participants will be recruited by convenience from the charts of a Public Hospital. Participants will be randomly allocated into four groups: 1) adequate weight placebo group (AWPG); 2) adequate weight intervention group (AWIG); 2) low weight placebo group (LWPG) and 4) low weight intervention group (LWIG). . The assessor will be blinded (no knowledge of groups allocation). All infants will undergo a training program of eight sessions (2x/week; 4 weeks). The AWIG and LWIG will receive the training with an additional weight (characterized by a bracelet with a weight of 20% of the mass of the upper limbs)and the AWPG and LWPG will receive the same training, however, without the additional weight (only the bracelets).. All infants will be assessed in three different moments: 1) Pre-intervention: baseline, before the start of the intervention program; 2) Post-intervention: evaluation performed after the end of the program; and 3) Follow-up: evaluation performed seven days after the post-intervention assessment. The following kinematic dependent variables will be calculated: straightness index, mean velocity and motion units and electromyographic variables: pattern of activation and recruitment of muscle fibers - Biceps brachialis, Triceps brachialis, Deltoid and Pectoralis Major muscles; co-activation between biceps and triceps. The Qualisys Track Manager (QTM) and a wireless surface electromyography with 8-channels will be used. If normality assumptions are met, a mixed 2X2 ANOVA with repeated measures will be applied, in order to verify differences between the intervention programs, considering the dependent variables. Otherwise, non-parametric procedures of the same nature will be adopted. The significance will be set at 5% (P<0.05).

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

Conditions

Conditions

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Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

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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.
66

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.
  • Not Applicable

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
    • DF
      • Brasília, DF, Brazil, 72220-275
        • Campus UnB Ceilandia

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

6 months to 7 months (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adequate weight infants: healthy infants born with gestational age between 38-42 weeks and adequate birth weight (> 2500 grams);
  • Low weight infants: healthy infants born with gestational age between 32-36 weeks and 6 days and with low birth weight (between 1500 and 2500 grams).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Anoxiated infants;
  • Signs of neurological impairment (eg, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathies grade I, II and III, intracranial hemorrhage and neonatal seizures);
  • Congenital malformations (eg myelomeningocele and achondroplasias);
  • Syndromes (e.g Down Syndrome);
  • Sensorial alterations (visual and auditory);
  • Cardiorespiratory difficulties;
  • Orthopedic impairments (e.g, congenital clubfoot);
  • Apgar below 8 and 10 in the first and fifth minutes, respectively.
  • Infants who do not attend any of the evaluations, who do not complete at least 80% of the training or who cry uncontrollably, not allowing at least 10 reachings in the evaluations and training. Those that present intercurrences that may compromise normal neurosensorimotor development (for example, recurrent pneumonia, kidney and intestinal infection).

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: 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.
Experimental: Training with additional weight
The infants will be submitted to a reaching behavior training program of 4 weeks, two times per week (totaling 8 sessions). During this training program, infants will use a bracelet with an additional weight characterized by 20% of the total mass of the upper limb placed on both wrists. This training will be adopted for the adequate weight intervention group and low weight intervention group.
Other: Training with additional weight
The infants will be positioned in a reclined position. A bracelet with an additional weight (20% of the total mass of the upper limb) will be placed on both wrists. The training will happen 2x/week, during 4 weeks (8 sessions). An object will be used to stimulate the reaching behavior, which will be displayed by the examiner (positioned in front of the infant), and presented in the midline at shoulder height, considering the distance from the arm's length of the infant to the height of the wrist. The physiotherapist will draw the attention of the infant to the object, moving it momentarily so that the infant perceives it and reaches it. After reaching, the object will be carefully removed and resubmitted in order to elicit a new movement. The interval between each presentation will be of approximately 5 seconds. At least 10 movements will be stimulated. If the infant does not achieve the 10 reaches within the maximum interval of 15 minutes, the session will be terminated.
Placebo Comparator: Training without additional weight
The infants will be submitted to a reaching behavior training program of 4 weeks, two times per week (totaling 8 sessions). During this training program, infants will use a bracelet without additional weight, placed on both wrists. This training will be adopted for the adequate weight placebo group and low weight placebo group.
Other: Training without additional weight
The infants will be positioned in a reclined position. A bracelet without the additional weight will be placed on both wrists. The training will happen 2x/week, during 4 weeks (8 sessions). An object will be used to stimulate the reaching behavior, which will be displayed by the examiner (positioned in front of the infant), and presented in the midline at shoulder height, considering the distance from the arm's length of the infant to the height of the wrist. The physiotherapist will draw the attention of the infant to the object, moving it momentarily so that the infant perceives it and reaches the object. After reaching, the object will be carefully removed (or picked up) and resubmitted in order to elicit a new movement. The interval between each presentation of the object will be of approximately 5 seconds. At least 10 movements will be stimulated. If the infant does not achieve the 10 reaches within the maximum interval of 15 minutes, the session will be terminated.

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
Movement unit
Time Frame: Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
the number of maximum velocities between two minimum velocities, for which the difference was greater than 1 cm/s
Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
Electromyographic activity
Time Frame: Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
Magnitude of the muscle recruitment during the reaching behavior, measured in microvolts (root mean square - RMS)
Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)

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
Mean Velocity
Time Frame: Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
the ratio between the distance traveled during the reaching behavior and the duration of the movement
Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
Straightness Index
Time Frame: Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
ratio between the minimal distance that could have been traveled in this trajectory (distance between the initial position of the hand and the object) and the distance traveled by the hand (total trajectory). The closer is this index to 1, the straighter is the trajectory.
Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
Grasping
Time Frame: Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
categorical variable classified into (a) successful: when the infant was able to grasp the object with one or both hands; and (b) unsuccessful: when the infant touched the object, but did not grasp it
Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
Muscle coactivation
Time Frame: Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
Coactivation between the biceps and triceps muscle during the reaching behavior, measured in percentage (activation of the biceps/activation of the triceps)
Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
Transport Unit
Time Frame: Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
The relative duration of the first movement unit in relation to total duration of reaching
Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
Deceleration time
Time Frame: Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)
The time necessary for the infant to decelerate the arm movement so that the hand touches an object. This period of the duration is measured from the time of appearance of the peak of velocity to the end of the reach.
Change from Pre-Intervention (baseline) compared to Post-Intervention (4 weeks) and Follow-up (7 days)

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.
University of Brasilia

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.
  • Study Director: Rodrigo Carregaro, PhD, University of Brasilia

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.
January 12, 2018

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.
September 15, 2018

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.
September 15, 2018

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).
January 12, 2018

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.
January 18, 2018

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.
January 19, 2018

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.
February 25, 2019

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.
February 21, 2019

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.
February 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • Additional Weight Trial

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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