Visual and Auditory Electromyography Biofeedback Among Stroke Patients

July 14, 2026 updated by: Adnan Hashim, University of Lahore

Comparative Effects of Visual and Auditory Electromyography Biofeedback Combined With Conventional Physiotherapy on Balance, Functional Mobility, Motor Function, and Functional Independence Among Patients With Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Stroke commonly results in impairments of balance, mobility, and lower extremity motor function that limit independence in daily activities. Electromyography (EMG) biofeedback enhances motor relearning by providing real-time feedback regarding muscle activation. Although both visual and auditory EMG biofeedback have demonstrated benefits in stroke rehabilitation, evidence directly comparing these feedback modalities remains limited. This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of visual and auditory EMG biofeedback, each combined with conventional physiotherapy, on balance, functional mobility, motor function, and functional independence in individuals with stroke.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not 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 randomized controlled trial will compare two modes of electromyography biofeedback in individuals with stroke undergoing lower extremity rehabilitation. Eighty-four eligible participants will be randomly allocated into two parallel groups using sealed-envelope randomization. Both groups will receive conventional physiotherapy consisting of lower extremity strengthening, balance, gait, and task-oriented exercises for 10 minutes per session. The experimental intervention will consist of either visual or auditory EMG biofeedback applied to the tibialis anterior muscle for 20 minutes. Treatment will be provided five sessions per week over three weeks (15 sessions). Outcomes including balance (Berg Balance Scale), functional mobility (Timed Up and Go Test), motor recovery (Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremity), and functional independence (Barthel Index) will be assessed at baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention by a blinded assessor.

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.
84

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

  • Pakistan
      • Multan Khurd, Pakistan
        • Nishtar Hospital Multan

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:

  • Age between 20 and 30 years
  • Male or female participants
  • Clinically diagnosed hemiplegic stroke.
  • Medically stable and able to participate in rehabilitation.
  • No visual impairment that would interfere with visual biofeedback.
  • No hearing impairment that would interfere with auditory biofeedback.
  • No sensory aphasia affecting the ability to understand study instructions.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Traumatic injury or lesion affecting the lower extremities
  • Lower-limb amputation
  • Severe systemic disease that could interfere with participation
  • Peripheral vascular disease affecting the lower extremities
  • Fixed ankle contracture
  • Motion sickness or intolerance to rehabilitation technology

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: Visual EMG Biofeedback + Conventional Physiotherapy
Participants assigned to this arm will receive 10 minutes of conventional physiotherapy followed by 20 minutes of visual electromyography (EMG) biofeedback training. Surface EMG electrodes will be applied to the tibialis anterior muscle of the affected lower extremity. Real-time visual feedback displayed on a monitor will guide voluntary muscle activation to improve balance, motor recovery, functional mobility, and functional independence. Treatment will be provided for 30 minutes per session, five sessions per week for three weeks (15 sessions).
Device: Visual Electromyography Biofeedback
Surface electromyography biofeedback will provide real-time visual feedback of muscle activity from the tibialis anterior muscle using graphical displays on a monitor. Participants will perform task-oriented lower extremity exercises while observing muscle activation to facilitate motor relearning and improve balance, functional mobility, and lower extremity motor function. The intervention will be delivered for 20 minutes per session, five sessions per week for three weeks.
Other: Conventional Physiotherapy
Conventional physiotherapy will consist of lower extremity strengthening exercises, task-oriented functional training, balance exercises, gait training, stretching, and mobility exercises. All participants will receive 10 minutes of conventional physiotherapy before EMG biofeedback during each treatment session. The intervention will be delivered five sessions per week for three weeks.
Experimental: Auditory EMG Biofeedback + Conventional Physiotherapy
Participants assigned to this arm will receive 10 minutes of conventional physiotherapy followed by 20 minutes of auditory electromyography (EMG) biofeedback training. Surface EMG electrodes will be applied to the tibialis anterior muscle of the affected lower extremity. Muscle activation will be translated into real-time auditory cues to facilitate voluntary muscle contraction, motor relearning, and improvement in balance and functional mobility. Treatment will be provided for 30 minutes per session, five sessions per week for three weeks (15 sessions).
Other: Conventional Physiotherapy
Conventional physiotherapy will consist of lower extremity strengthening exercises, task-oriented functional training, balance exercises, gait training, stretching, and mobility exercises. All participants will receive 10 minutes of conventional physiotherapy before EMG biofeedback during each treatment session. The intervention will be delivered five sessions per week for three weeks.
Device: Auditory Electromyography Biofeedback
Surface electromyography biofeedback will provide real-time auditory feedback corresponding to muscle activation of the tibialis anterior muscle. Participants will perform task-oriented lower extremity exercises while using auditory cues to facilitate muscle activation, movement coordination, and motor recovery. The intervention will be delivered for 20 minutes per session, five sessions per week for three weeks.

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
Balance (Berg Balance Scale)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 3 (Post-intervention)
Balance will be assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), a 14-item performance-based measure of static and dynamic balance. Scores range from 0 to 56, with higher scores indicating better balance performance.
Baseline and Week 3 (Post-intervention)
Functional mobility (Timed Up and Go Test)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 3 (Post-intervention)
Functional mobility will be assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test. The time (seconds) required to stand from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn, return, and sit will be recorded. Lower completion times indicate better functional mobility.
Baseline and Week 3 (Post-intervention)
Motor function (Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremity)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 3 (Post-intervention)
Motor function will be assessed using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremity (FMA-LE). The FMA-LE contains 17 items with a total score ranging from 0 to 34. Higher scores indicate greater motor recovery.
Baseline and Week 3 (Post-intervention)

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
Functional independence (Barthel Index)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 3 (Post-intervention)
Functional independence will be assessed using the Barthel Index (BI). The BI evaluates independence in activities of daily living, with scores ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater functional independence.
Baseline and Week 3 (Post-intervention)

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 Lahore

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.
April 9, 2026

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.
September 10, 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 12, 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).
July 14, 2026

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.
July 14, 2026

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.
July 17, 2026

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.
July 17, 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.
July 14, 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.
July 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.
  • UOL/IREB/26/19/01/0002

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared because this study was conducted as an academic research project. The informed consent obtained from participants did not include provisions for public data sharing, and the dataset contains sensitive personal health information. Data will be stored securely and used only for academic and research purposes in accordance with institutional ethics approval.

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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