Contralaterally Controlled FES of Arm & Hand for Subacute Stroke Rehabilitation

January 6, 2020 updated by: Jayme Knutson, MetroHealth Medical Center

Optimizing Contralaterally Controlled FES for Acute Upper Limb Hemiplegia

Impaired arm and hand function is one of the most disabling and most common consequences of stroke. The Investigators have developed Contralaterally Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation (CCFES), an innovative neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) treatment for improving the recovery of hand function after stroke. The purpose of this study is to maximize the treatment effect of CCFES by adding stimulated elbow extension. The specific aims and hypotheses are as follows:

AIM 1: Estimate the effect of Arm+Hand CCFES on upper limb motor impairment and activity limitation.

Hypothesis 1: Stroke survivors treated with Arm+Hand CCFES have better outcomes on upper limb impairment and activity limitation measures than those treated with dose-matched Arm+Hand Cyclic NMES.

AIM 2: Estimate the effect of adding stimulated elbow extension to Hand CCFES.

Hypothesis 2: Stroke survivors treated with Arm+Hand CCFES will have greater reductions in upper limb impairment and activity limitation than those treated with Hand CCFES.

AIM 3: Describe the relationship between treatment effect and time elapsed between stroke onset and start of treatment.

Hypothesis 3: Patients who start Arm+Hand CCFES sooner after their stroke achieve better outcomes.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Loss of arm and hand function is a severely disabling condition that occurs in nearly 75% of the estimated 795,000 Americans who have a new or recurrent stroke each year [Roger 2011]. Upper limb impairment is often characterized by inability to extend the elbow and open the hand. The hope of regaining lost motor function after stroke has been fueled in recent years by the development of new rehabilitation therapies and devices that are aimed at promoting the brain's capacity to reorganize after injury in such a way that restores motor control of paretic limbs [Nudo 2001]. The Investigators' long-term objective is to develop stroke rehabilitation treatments for the hemiparetic upper limb that are optimized for effectiveness, applicability, and deployability.

The primary objective of this project is to estimate the effect of Arm+Hand Contralaterally Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation (CCFES) in reducing upper limb motor impairment and activity limitation in subacute hemiplegia. CCFES is a treatment aimed at improving recovery of volitional motor function in stroke survivors [Knutson 2007; Knutson 2009; Knutson 2010]. Hand CCFES activates finger and thumb extensors with an intensity of electrical stimulation that is proportional to the degree of opening of the contralateral unimpaired hand wearing an instrumented glove. Thus, volitional opening of the nonparetic hand produces stimulated opening of the paretic hand. The Hand CCFES system enables stroke patients to use their impaired hand to practice functional tasks in therapy sessions. CCFES incorporates the following features considered to be important to motor recovery and promoting neuroplasticity: synchronization of motor intent with motor execution of paretic hand opening [Rushton 2003; Kimberley 2004], bilateral symmetric movement [Luft 2004], intensive repetitive hand opening exercises [Lang 2009], and the practice of functional tasks [Nudo 2003]. In a pilot case series study of patients with chronic (> 6 months) post-stroke hemiplegia, all 6 participants experienced some reduction of upper limb motor impairment after several weeks of Hand CCFES [Knutson 2007; Knutson 2009]. The results of a Phase I randomized clinical trial (RCT) of Hand CCFES in 21 patients with subacute (≤ 6 months) hemiplegia suggested that Hand CCFES may be superior to cyclic neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in reducing upper extremity impairment and activity limitation [Knutson 2011].

In this study, added to the Hand CCFES treatment is stimulated elbow extension controlled by the contralateral elbow. This "next generation" CCFES treatment is called Arm+Hand CCFES. Arm+Hand CCFES therapy is intended to strengthen and improve the motor control of the proximal upper limb as well as the hand, to improve simultaneous reaching and hand opening, a functionally critical movement pattern that is often prevented by paresis and post-stroke flexor synergies. The secondary objective of this project is to evaluate the effect of adding elbow extensor stimulation to the Hand CCFES treatment.

Stroke survivors who are ≤ 2 years post-stroke with upper limb hemiplegia will be randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of either Arm+Hand CCFES (stimulates elbow extension and hand opening), Hand CCFES (stimulates hand opening), or Arm+Hand Cyclic NMES (stimulates elbow extension and hand opening but with pre-set timing and intensity, i.e., not intention-driven), plus lab-based therapist-guided task practice. Upper limb impairment and activity limitation will be assessed at baseline, 6, 12, 20, 28, and 36 weeks.

This is the first randomized controlled trial of Arm+Hand CCFES in subacute upper extremity hemiplegia. Ultimately, the information learned in this study will serve to accelerate the development of a new treatment for reducing post-stroke disability.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

67

Phase

  • 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

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44109
        • MetroHealth Medical Center

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

21 years to 80 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥ 21 and ≤ 80
  • ≤ 2 years of first clinical hemorrhagic or nonhemorrhagic stroke
  • Skin intact on hemiparetic arm and hand
  • Able to follow 3-stage commands
  • Able to recall 2 of 3 items after 30 minutes
  • Medically stable
  • Finger extensor paresis indicated by a score of ≤ 4 out of 5 on the manual muscle test (Medical Research Council scale)
  • Adequate movement of shoulder and elbow to position the paretic hand in the workspace for table-top task practice
  • Caregiver available to assist with device daily - OR - able to independently don elbow cuff on unaffected arm
  • Full volitional elbow extension/flexion and hand opening/closing of unaffected limb
  • Upper extremity hand section of Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer (UEFM)≥ 1 AND ≤ 11/14
  • Unable to simultaneously fully extend the elbow and fully open the hand toward tabletop object with arm unsupported (i.e. cannot voluntarily achieve the maximum passive range of motion (PROM) available)
  • Functional PROM (minimal resistance) at shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand simultaneously on affected side (i.e., there exists enough PROM to reach and acquire table-top objects).
  • Able to hear and respond to stimulator cues
  • While relaxed, surface NMES of finger extensors and thumb extensors and/or abductors produces a functional degree of hand opening without pain.
  • While relaxed with the forearm supported with a mobile arm support, surface NMES of elbow extensors (triceps) produces functional elbow extension without pain.
  • Patient must be able to sit unassisted in an armless straight-back chair for the duration of the screening portion of the eligibility assessment.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Co-existing neurological condition other than prior stroke involving the hemiparetic upper limb (e.g., peripheral nerve injury, Parkinson's Disease, Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis).
  • Severely impaired cognition and communication
  • Uncontrolled seizure disorder
  • History of cardiac arrhythmias with hemodynamic instability
  • Cardiac pacemaker or other implanted electronic device
  • Pregnant
  • IM Botox injections in any UE muscle in the last 3 months
  • Insensate arm, forearm, or hand
  • Uncompensated hemi-neglect (extinguishing to double simultaneous stimulation)
  • Severe shoulder or hand pain
  • Severe depression on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (score>=13 on BDI-fast screen)

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
  • Masking: SINGLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Arm+Hand CCFES
Uses an electrical stimulator that opens the paretic hand and extends the paretic elbow in response to and with an intensity proportional to movement of the contralateral arm and hand. The treatment dose will be approximately 2 hrs per day of self-administered stimulation-mediated exercise at home plus 70 min of functional task practice twice a week in the laboratory for 12 weeks.
Device: Electrical Stimulator

The 12-week treatment period consists of two components:

  1. Therapist-guided task practice performed 70 minutes twice a week in the research laboratory. If Arm+Hand CCFES or Hand CCFES, the stimulator is used during task practice.
  2. Self-administered muscle stimulation exercise performed 10 sessions per week at home using the device. If Arm+Hand CCFES or Hand CCFES, each session is 46 minutes. If Arm+Hand Cyclic NMES, each session is 60 minutes.
EXPERIMENTAL: Hand CCFES
Uses an electrical stimulator that opens the paretic hand in response to and with an intensity proportional to movement of the contralateral hand. The treatment dose will be approximately 2 hrs per day of self-administered stimulation-mediated exercise at home plus 70 min of functional task practice twice a week in the laboratory for 12 weeks.
Device: Electrical Stimulator

The 12-week treatment period consists of two components:

  1. Therapist-guided task practice performed 70 minutes twice a week in the research laboratory. If Arm+Hand CCFES or Hand CCFES, the stimulator is used during task practice.
  2. Self-administered muscle stimulation exercise performed 10 sessions per week at home using the device. If Arm+Hand CCFES or Hand CCFES, each session is 46 minutes. If Arm+Hand Cyclic NMES, each session is 60 minutes.
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Arm+Hand Cyclic NMES
Uses an electrical stimulator that delivers stimulation to open the hand and extend the elbow repeatedly with preprogrammed timing and intensity. The treatment dose will be approximately 2 hrs per day of self-administered stimulation-mediated exercise at home plus 70 min of functional task practice twice a week in the laboratory for 12 weeks.
Device: Electrical Stimulator

The 12-week treatment period consists of two components:

  1. Therapist-guided task practice performed 70 minutes twice a week in the research laboratory. If Arm+Hand CCFES or Hand CCFES, the stimulator is used during task practice.
  2. Self-administered muscle stimulation exercise performed 10 sessions per week at home using the device. If Arm+Hand CCFES or Hand CCFES, each session is 46 minutes. If Arm+Hand Cyclic NMES, each session is 60 minutes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Box and Block Test (BBT) Score at 6 Months Post-Treatment
Time Frame: 2 timepoints: prior to treatment, 6 months post-treatment
The BBT counts how many blocks a participant can pick up, move over a barrier, and release in 60 seconds. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
2 timepoints: prior to treatment, 6 months post-treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Reachable Workspace (RW) at 6 Months Post-Treatment
Time Frame: 2 timepoints: prior to treatment, 6 months post-treatment
Reachable Workspace (RW) is the area (cm^2) traced out when reaching for a target moving in a circular path just outside the reach of the participant.
2 timepoints: prior to treatment, 6 months post-treatment
Change in Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer (UEFM) Score at 6 Months Post-Treatment
Time Frame: 2 timepoints: prior to treatment, 6 months post-treatment

The Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer (UEFM) is an assessment of motor impairment of the upper limb in which the participant is asked to make specific movements of the arm, forearm, wrist, and hand. Each movement is scored 0, 1, or 2 and the subscores are summed.

Min=0; Max=66. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
2 timepoints: prior to treatment, 6 months post-treatment
Change in Stroke Upper Limb Capacity Scale (SULCS) at 6 Months Post-Treatment
Time Frame: 2 timepoints: prior to treatment, 6 months post-treatment

Stroke Upper Limb Capacity Scale (SULCS) is a 10-item test in which participants are given a score of 0 or 1 on their performance of tasks requiring varying degrees of upper limb capacity.

Min=0; Max=10. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
2 timepoints: prior to treatment, 6 months post-treatment
Change in Arm Motor Abilities Test (AMAT) at 6 Months Post-Treatment
Time Frame: 2 timepoints: prior to treatment, 6 months post-treatment

The Arm Motor Abilities Test (AMAT) is an assessment of the participant's ability to do 9 standardized upper limb tasks. Each task is composed of 1 to 3 component tasks, each of which is rated on an ordinal scale of 0 to 5. The final score is the average of all component task scores across all 9 compound tasks.

Min=0; Max=5. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
2 timepoints: prior to treatment, 6 months post-treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

MetroHealth Medical Center

Collaborators

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Case Western Reserve University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Jayme S. Knutson, PhD, MetroHealth 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

Helpful Links

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)

January 1, 2013

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

August 1, 2018

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

August 31, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 17, 2012

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 19, 2012

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

September 20, 2012

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

January 9, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 6, 2020

Last Verified

January 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IRB12-00493
  • R01HD068588 (NIH)

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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