High vs Low-frequency of High-intensity Training in Chronic Stroke (F-ITT)

January 26, 2026 updated by: George Hornby, Indiana University
The purpose of this pilot study is to investigate the potential role of training frequency on locomotor outcomes following high-intensity gait training and provision of a home walking program.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

Detailed Description

This study will utilize a 2 arm randomized trial to investigate potential differences in locomotor and community outcomes following 18 visits of high-intensity gait training provided over 6 weeks (high frequency) or 12 weeks (low frequency). Following confirmation of eligibility and baseline testing, individuals will be randomized to either high or low frequency of training and complete subsequent testing at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks.

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 (Estimated)

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.
40

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Christopher Henderson, PhD
  • Phone Number: 317-329-2353
  • Email: henderce@iu.edu

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Thomas G Hornby, PhD
  • Phone Number: 317-329-2353
  • Email: tghornby@iu.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Indiana
      • Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46254
        • Recruiting
        • Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Christopher Henderson, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Thomas G Hornby, PhD

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Unilateral deficits following stroke > 6 months prior; however individuals > 4 months post-stroke are eligible for consenting, but final eligibility and potential enrollment will not occur until > 6 months
  • Age 18-85
  • Weight < 350 pounds
  • Able to follow 3-step commands
  • Able to ambulate with self-selected gait speeds between 0.10-1.0 m/s without physical assistance, but with below knee bracing and/or assistive device as needed
  • Lower extremity Fugl-Meyer < 34
  • Medical clearance to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Evidence of cerebellar ataxia
  • Uncontrolled cardiopulmonary or metabolic disease that limits exercise participation, active heterotopic ossification, recurrent history of lower extremity fractures, previous orthopedic or other peripheral or central neurologic injury that may impair locomotor activities such that, in the judgement of the PI, could compromise the safety of the participant, limit the ability to complete the study, or compromise the objectives of the study.
  • Currently participating in other physical therapy
  • >50 units of Botox in the lower extremity OR in the lower extremity, but above the knee if the participant wears an ankle-foot-orthosis (AFO) within the past three months

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: High frequency
Individuals will receive up to 18 visits of high-intensity gait training and activity coaching over 6 weeks
Other: high-intensity gait training
Individuals will perform up to 40 minutes of walking practice during 60 minute sessions while targeting heart rates of at least 70% heart rate reserve.
Behavioral: Physical activity coaching
Individuals will receive feedback on the minutes of walking activity performed on non-training days and provided coaching strategies to increase this metric.
Active Comparator: Low frequency
Individuals will receive up to 18 visits of high-intensity gait training and activity coaching over 12 weeks
Other: high-intensity gait training
Individuals will perform up to 40 minutes of walking practice during 60 minute sessions while targeting heart rates of at least 70% heart rate reserve.
Behavioral: Physical activity coaching
Individuals will receive feedback on the minutes of walking activity performed on non-training days and provided coaching strategies to increase this metric.

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
6-minute walk test
Time Frame: After 12 weeks
Individuals will be asked to "cover as much ground as possible" over 6 mins. Heart rate will additionally be measured during this assessment (distance in m)
After 12 weeks

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
Peak treadmill speed
Time Frame: After 12 weeks
Individuals will participate in a walking-based graded exercise test. While harnessed for safety, a motorized treadmill will be initially set to 0.1 m/s and increased by 0.1 m/s each minute until the test is terminated due: 1) requests to stop, 2) unable to keep up with the treadmill and/or loses their balance, 3) absolute exercise test termination criteria provided by ACSM. The highest speed that the individual can walk for a minute at is the peak treadmill speed.
After 12 weeks

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
Functional Gait Assessment
Time Frame: After 12 weeks
10 item assessment of dynamic balance. Example tasks include walking with head turns, with eyes closed, and walking backwards.
After 12 weeks
30 second Sit to Stand Test
Time Frame: After 12 weeks
Participants will be asked to rise from a chair without using their arms and then return to sitting as many times as possible in 30 seconds.
After 12 weeks
Activity-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale
Time Frame: After 12 weeks
This questionnaire asks individuals to rate their balance-confidence from 0 (no confidence) to 100 (completely confident) during a variety of 16 commonly performed tasks such as walking around a house or getting into a car.
After 12 weeks
Oxygen Consumption
Time Frame: After 12 weeks
Oxygen consumption will be measured via a portable metabolic cart (K5; COSMED) during the previously described graded exercise test. Participant will wear a snug fitting mask that covers their mouth and nose, but does not affect the amount or quality of air that they breathe. The mask will be connected to a small backpack that collects information on the rate of breathing and oxygen consumed.
After 12 weeks
Medical Outcomes Survey Short-Form 36 (SF-36)
Time Frame: After 12 weeks
This 36-question survey asks individuals about how their current health may limit their ability to perform typical physical and social activities.
After 12 weeks
Steps per Day
Time Frame: After 12 weeks
Participants will wear a research-grade pedometer (StepWatch; Modus Health) during waking hours for ~1-2 weeks before beginning the training protocol, during the intervention period, and after completing training protocol to quantify home and community mobility. Participants will also be asked to document their daily minutes walked for exercise, number of walking bouts, where they performed the activity, and subjectively how hard they were working while walking for exercise.
After 12 weeks
Gait speed
Time Frame: After 12 weeks
This is an assessment of overground walking speed measured across a distance of ~20 feet and will be conducted at both self-selected (instructions: "walk at your usual, comfortable pace") and fastest (instructions: "walk as fast as you safely can") walking speeds on a pressure sensitive mat (speed in m/s; Zeno Walkway).
After 12 weeks

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.
Indiana University

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: Thomas G Hornby, PhD, Indiana University

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.
September 16, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
October 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
October 1, 2026

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).
September 20, 2024

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.
September 22, 2024

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.
September 25, 2024

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.
January 27, 2026

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.
January 26, 2026

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.
January 1, 2026

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.
  • 24114

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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