Does More Practice Improve Arm Movement After Stroke?

January 3, 2017 updated by: Catherine E. Lang, Washington University School of Medicine

Dose Response of Movement Practice During Stroke Rehabilitation

Arm weakness happens a lot after a stroke. People often get physical or occupational therapy after their stroke to learn how to use their arm again. This study will help figure out how much therapy should be given to restore as much arm function as possible.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Dose has emerged as a key factor promoting functional recovery after stroke. Currently, a lack of data on the dose-response relationship impedes progress in the field of stroke rehabilitation. The goal of the proposed project is to define the range of doses of movement practice that produce the greatest improvements in outcomes in people with chronic stroke. Borrowing from animal models of stroke, dose in humans can be quantified by the number of repetitions of task-specific practice.

Our central hypothesis is that there exists a range of doses for people with stroke, below which, there is minimal benefit, and above which, further practice does not result in further benefit. The range of beneficial doses is likely to vary based on the severity of motor deficits and the presence of non-motor deficits in other domains. Using a randomized, parallel dose-response design, we will evaluate the benefits of four different doses of task-specific upper extremity training with matched schedules of 1 hr sessions, 4 sessions/wk for 8 wks, in 100 people with chronic stroke. Total repetition doses to be evaluated (3200, 6400, 9600, & individualized-maximum) are based on our preliminary data. The individualized-maximum group may extend their sessions beyond 8 wks until meeting defined stop criteria.

Our primary aim will test whether larger total doses result in better outcomes than smaller total doses. Benefits of the four doses will be evaluated at the impairment, activity, and participation levels, since understanding the dose-response relationship at all levels of measurement is critical for advancing rehabilitation research. We hypothesize that improvements will be greatest in the 9600 and individualized-maximum, followed by the 6400, and then the 3200 repetition dose groups. Our secondary aim is to characterize the dose-response relationship of upper extremity task-specific practice. With data from multiple assessment points, individual curve modeling will be used to estimate dose ranges, below which, there is minimal benefit, and above which, further practice does not result in further benefit. Furthermore, we will determine how various factors modify the dose estimates. We hypothesize that the severity of motor deficits will be the primary modifier of the dose-response relationship, with larger doses needed for those with more mild motor deficits. We further expect that needed doses will be larger for those with depression and hemispatial neglect.

Our team is well-positioned to investigate the critical issue of dose because of our expertise in stroke rehabilitation research and measurement, our understanding of the challenges of clinical practice and clinical research, and our ready access to this patient population. Expected outcomes from this project are empirically-driven estimates indicating the amount of movement practice required to drive maximal improvements and how these estimates can be individually modified for people undergoing stroke rehabilitation. Our estimates will immediately impact rehabilitation research and clinical practice. The importance of this project transcends stroke rehabilitation; our primary results will be of high value to many other rehabilitation populations also impeded by the lack of knowledge regarding dose-response relationships.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

85

Phase

  • 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

  • United States
    • Missouri
      • St. Louis, Missouri, United States, 63108
        • Washington University School of Medicine

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke as determined by a stroke neurologist and consistent with neuroimaging
  • Time since stroke will include subjects 6-months or more post-stroke
  • Cognitive skills to actively participate (score of 0-1 on items 1b and 1c of the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS)
  • Unilateral upper extremity weakness (score of 1-3 on item 5 (arm item) on the NIHSS)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Subject unavailable for 2-month follow-up
  • Inability to follow-2-step commands
  • Psychiatric diagnoses
  • Current participation in other stroke treatment (i.e.- Botox)
  • Other neurological diagnoses
  • If participant lives further than one hour away and is unwilling to travel for assessment and treatment sessions.
  • Pregnancy

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
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Low Movement Dose, 3200 total reps
he experimental intervention consists of intensive task-specific upper extremity movement rehabilitation which are appropriately graded and progressed for each subject. This intervention will provide progressive training of these essential components required for upper extremity movement through repeated practice of various tasks, with the desired goal of building the subject's capacity to perform a multitude of UE functions. Subjects will participate in the intervention for eight weeks or more depending on the group they are randomized to.
Other: Intensive task-specific upper extremity rehabilitation
The experimental intervention consists of intensive task-specific upper extremity movement rehabilitation which are appropriately graded and progressed for each subject. This intervention will provide progressive training of these essential components required for upper extremity movement through repeated practice of various tasks, with the desired goal of building the subject's capacity to perform a multitude of UE functions. Subjects will participate in the intervention for eight weeks or more depending on the group they are randomized to.
Experimental: Medium Movement Dose, 6400 total reps
he experimental intervention consists of intensive task-specific upper extremity movement rehabilitation which are appropriately graded and progressed for each subject. This intervention will provide progressive training of these essential components required for upper extremity movement through repeated practice of various tasks, with the desired goal of building the subject's capacity to perform a multitude of UE functions. Subjects will participate in the intervention for eight weeks or more depending on the group they are randomized to.
Other: Intensive task-specific upper extremity rehabilitation
The experimental intervention consists of intensive task-specific upper extremity movement rehabilitation which are appropriately graded and progressed for each subject. This intervention will provide progressive training of these essential components required for upper extremity movement through repeated practice of various tasks, with the desired goal of building the subject's capacity to perform a multitude of UE functions. Subjects will participate in the intervention for eight weeks or more depending on the group they are randomized to.
Experimental: High Movement Dose, 9600 total reps
he experimental intervention consists of intensive task-specific upper extremity movement rehabilitation which are appropriately graded and progressed for each subject. This intervention will provide progressive training of these essential components required for upper extremity movement through repeated practice of various tasks, with the desired goal of building the subject's capacity to perform a multitude of UE functions. Subjects will participate in the intervention for eight weeks or more depending on the group they are randomized to.
Other: Intensive task-specific upper extremity rehabilitation
The experimental intervention consists of intensive task-specific upper extremity movement rehabilitation which are appropriately graded and progressed for each subject. This intervention will provide progressive training of these essential components required for upper extremity movement through repeated practice of various tasks, with the desired goal of building the subject's capacity to perform a multitude of UE functions. Subjects will participate in the intervention for eight weeks or more depending on the group they are randomized to.
Experimental: Individual Maximum High Movement Dose
he experimental intervention consists of intensive task-specific upper extremity movement rehabilitation which are appropriately graded and progressed for each subject. This intervention will provide progressive training of these essential components required for upper extremity movement through repeated practice of various tasks, with the desired goal of building the subject's capacity to perform a multitude of UE functions. Subjects will participate in the intervention for eight weeks or more depending on the group they are randomized to.
Other: Intensive task-specific upper extremity rehabilitation
The experimental intervention consists of intensive task-specific upper extremity movement rehabilitation which are appropriately graded and progressed for each subject. This intervention will provide progressive training of these essential components required for upper extremity movement through repeated practice of various tasks, with the desired goal of building the subject's capacity to perform a multitude of UE functions. Subjects will participate in the intervention for eight weeks or more depending on the group they are randomized to.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) Score Per Week
Time Frame: 9 weeks
The Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) is a standardized assessment of upper extremity functional capacity. Criterion scores are awarded by a trained assessor as the person performs 19 different items requiring reaching, grasping, and manipulation of various objects. Maximum total score is 57. Minimum total score is 0. Higher scores represent better arm and hand functional capacity. In this study, scores were assesses weekly and the analysis evaluated the rate of change over time in units/week.
9 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Washington University School of Medicine

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Catherine E Lang, PT, PhD, Washington University School of Medicine

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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

May 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 1, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

October 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 3, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 15, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

June 17, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 24, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 3, 2017

Last Verified

January 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 10-0230

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

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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