The Middle East "Stepping Forward" Project (MESF) (MESF)

November 3, 2011 updated by: Fany Tusia, Assaf-Harofeh Medical Center

Improving Treatment of People With Movement Disorders in the Middle East

The overall objective is to improve the functional status of Middle East adolescents with disabilities due to cerebral palsy (CP) and disabilities in adults due to cerebro-vascular stroke (Hemiplegia) by a collaborative Jordanian-Israeli-Palestinian-Moroccan applied research project.

Study Overview

Status

Unknown

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Specific objectives are:

To compare the efficacy of two rehabilitation technologies to facilitate neural reorganization, transfer and retention of treatments results to improve walking in real life situations The investigators suggest a new approach of treatment intervention that will induce unexpected changes of underfoot slopes during walking and will force the central nervous system (CNS) to react and solve problems.

The investigators also propose that the new approach will have a significantly superior motor function improvement that will be transferred to real environmental settings and be retained for long periods of time.

Research methods and materials

Subjects:

A total of 166 subjects will be studied in two groups of handicapped persons:

  1. 83 Teenagers with cerebral palsy: the CP group
  2. 83 Subjects with chronic hemiparesis: the HP group

Each group will be sub-divided into three secondary groups, having similar age distributions and level of motor function for the two different therapy approaches:

  • 21 Treadmill exercise training
  • 21 Training by randomized perturbations wearing the Random Shoe system
  • 21 Training with dummy shoes without perturbations

The time flow protocol:

Recruiting subjects according to inclusion/exclusion criteria

The subjects will be tested with the following measures (see arms)at

  • T0 before starting the interventions to form a base line
  • T1 after 12 weeks of intensive treatments 3 x week 45 min.
  • T2 6 months after T1, after the treatment was stopped, to check retainment of results of the treatments after a period of normal daily schedule of the subject

The treatments will start in a week from T0 The T1 will be performed in a week after the treatment was completed The T2 will be performed 6 months (take or leave 2 weeks) after T1, 6 months after treatment was stopped.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

120

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

  • Israel
      • Zerifin, Israel, 70300
        • Recruiting
        • Assaf Harofeh Medical Center
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Mark Belokopytov, 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

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years to 69 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria for CP group:

  1. Diagnosis of cerebral palsy
  2. Predominantly spastic type of CP with distribution of diplegia / tetraplegia
  3. Age: 14 - 20 yr
  4. GMFCS (gross motor function classification system) at levels II & III
  5. A cognitive level sufficient to comprehend and cooperate in treatment and testing
  6. No orthopedic surgery or other tone reduction intervention in last 6 months
  7. Not a candidate for orthopedic surgical or other tone reduction intervention.

Exclusion criteria for CP group:

  1. Candidates for orthopedic surgical or any other tone reduction procedures, e.g., botulin injections, baclofen pump interventions
  2. Cannot cooperate in treatment or understand instructions
  3. Uncontrolled convulsions if epileptic
  4. Adolescents with progressive degenerative conditions of CNS or/and muscle-skeletal system.

Inclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria for HP group:

  1. Stroke survivors in chronic stage (1 year or more following stroke
  2. Age: 40 - 65 yr
  3. Mild to moderate gait with ability to ambulate > 10m with or without assistive device
  4. Cognitive level sufficient to comprehend and cooperate in tests and training
  5. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score > 24 6: Receive medical clearance from their family physician.

Exclusion Criteria:

Exclusion criteria for HP group:

  1. Dementia (Mini-Mental Score < 24)
  2. Severe aphasia
  3. Heart failure
  4. Other medical conditions that preclude participation in low-intensity treadmill walking

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
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Re-Step

Mechatronic shoe with a sole made to change slopes in the swing phase of walking.

This unpredictable change will introduce a situation of necessary adaptation to keep balance
Device: Chaotic Perturbation
Each subject will undergo 36 intervention sessions, 3 times per week over 12 weeks. Each session will last up to 45 minuets, depending on the subject's endurance. During each session the subject will perform basic stretching and muscle strengthening, then wear the random shoes and perform a set of exercises following specific verbal tasks, e.g., "Walk 5 strides forward," or, "Walk to the right side until I ask you to stop." During this stage of walking the device will impose perturbations in the range tolerated by the subject. The therapist will make a written report of each session.
Other Names:
  • Re-Step shoes
Experimental: Dummy shoes
The shoes are in the same shape and weight of the Re-Step without the perturbations.
Device: Dummy not active shoes
Each subject will undergo 36 intervention sessions, 3 times per week over 12 weeks. Each session will last up to 45 minuets, depending on the subject's endurance. During each session the subject will perform basic stretching and muscle strengthening, then wear the dummy shoes and perform a set of exercises following specific verbal tasks, e.g., "Walk 5 strides forward," or, "Walk to the right side until I ask you to stop." During this stage of walking the device will not impose perturbations. The therapist will make a written report of each session.
Other Names:
  • Dummy Shoes
Active Comparator: treadmill
A treadmill with safety adaptation and all the usual characteristics of speed and slopes of fitness treadmills.
Device: Treadmill training
Each subject will undergo 36 intervention sessions, 3 times per week over 12 weeks. Each session will last up to 45 minuets, depending on the subject's endurance. During each session the subject will exercise basic stretching and muscle strengthening, then walk on the treadmill. A physiotherapist according the subject's rate of improvement will determine the increase in treadmill velocity and slope. The therapist will make a written report after each session.
Other Names:
  • Treadmill

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
10 meter walk test (10MWT)
10-meter walk test (Rossier & Wade, 2001) will assess normal walking speed. The participant walks a straight path distance of 10 meters at normal walking speed with time recorded. The test will be performed twice with the number of steps counted. The tester or an assistant remains near the participant to prevent a fall or injury if they appear unsteady.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
6 Minuets Walk Test (6MinWT)
The 6-minute walk test (Enright, 2003) will be used to assess walking endurance. Subjects are instructed to cover as much distance as possible while walking around a marked course for 6 minutes. A member of the research staff will closely monitor the subjects.
Mechanical Efficiency
Mechanical efficiency will be measured by the stair-climbing test (SCT) (Bar-Haim, et al. 2004; 2008). Metabolic cost is predicted from heart rate during the external work while stair-climbing and mechanical efficiency is calculated.
WHOQOL-BREF
The WHO's Quality of Life (WHOQoL-BREF) is an international cross-culturally comparable quality of life assessment instrument. It assesses the individual's perceptions in the context of their culture and value systems, and their personal goals, standards and concerns.
Berg Balance Scale (BBS)
The BBS is a 14-item scale that quantitatively assesses balance and risk for falls in older community-dwelling adults through direct observation of their performance.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Assaf-Harofeh Medical Center

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Eli Lahat, MD Proffesor, Assaf-Harofeh Medical Center

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

October 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2011

Study Completion (Anticipated)

April 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 5, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 3, 2011

First Posted (Estimate)

November 6, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

November 6, 2011

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 3, 2011

Last Verified

November 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • HT 5283 152/09
  • Yad Hanadiv 5106 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Yad Hanadiv Foundation; CPIRF)

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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