Schulze Muscular Dystrophy Ability Clinical Study

The primary objective of the Schulze study is to evaluate the function of the upper limbs of subjects diagnosed with neuromuscular disorders, with and without use of the Abilitech Assist device in the clinic and home environments. Functional outcomes will include documenting active range of motion and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) using the standardized Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the Role Evaluation of Activities of Life (REAL) assessments. Secondary objectives are to assess the safety record and report on adverse events (AEs) and parameters related to device usage, including device usage time and the time required to don/doff the device. Secondary objectives also include characterization of user upper limb performance based on etiology.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Cerebral Palsy; Muscular Dystrophies; Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; Becker Muscular Dystrophy; Spinal Muscular Atrophy; Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy; FSHD
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Abilitech Assist

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 35
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Chief Executive Officer; Phone Number: 833.225.3123; Email: info@abilitechmedical.com

Study Locations

• United States
  • Minnesota
    • Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, 55101
      • Recruiting
      • Gillette Children's
      • Contact: Research; Email: research@gillettechildrens.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 10 years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Subjects between 10 and 99 years of age, with onset of neuromuscular conditions that cause quadriparesis
2. MMT score of 1-3 in the elbow, wrist and hand; and a MMT score of 2-3 in the shoulder of at least one of the subject's arms
3. Ability of subject to raise their forearm off of their lap or laptray
4. Willingness to comply and participate with the study protocol and attend the study sessions
5. Ability to communicate verbally and respond to questions and commands
6. Ability to provide informed consent
7. Selected for participation based on investigator discretion

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Use of invasive ventilator
2. Open wounds or chronic pressure sores on upper extremities, neck, back or torso
3. Significantly unstable upper extremity joints
4. Unhealed bone fractures in the upper extremities
5. Active rotator cuff tear, grade 2 or 3
6. Surgical fixations limiting full passive range of motion
7. Uncontrolled upper-limb spasticity that significantly limits normal range of motion
8. Uncontrollable pain in the neck, shoulders or upper limbs
9. Ability to fully raise both hands simultaneously above their head with ease as defined by the investigator
10. Lack passive shoulder abduction of 120 degrees
11. Lack 90 degrees of passive elbow extension
12. Unable to follow instructions
13. Exhibit significant behavioral problems
14. Inability to provide consent

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Abilitech Assist; The Abilitech™ Assist device is a passively powered orthotic device designed to support and assist the arms of patients with neuromuscular weakness for activities of daily living.

Device: Abilitech Assist; The Abilitech™ Assist is an externally worn device supported by a body frame, which is designed to support and assist the arms in activities of daily living (ADL's). The Abilitech Assist is comprised of three parts: a modular body vest that adjusts to accommodate different body sizes, a single arm orthosis that attaches to the body vest, and an external power pack and controller for tensioning the arm's internal springs to adjust the arm's level of assist. The device augments a user's native arm function to provide lift assistance. Software customizes the spring tension for the level of assist required. The user can turn the system ON/OFF and toggle and adjust the level of assist (e.g., low, medium or high assist) using a pushbutton controller.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)	The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure is an evidence-based outcome measure designed to capture a client's self-perception of performance in everyday living, over time. The COPM results in two main scores - PERFORMANCE and SATISFACTION - each out of 10. PERFORMANCE and SATISFACTION scores can be generated for up to 5 individual occupational performance problems. Average PERFORMANCE and SATISFACTION scores can be calculated by summing individual problem scores and dividing by the number of problems. Change in scores for both PERFORMANCE and SATISFACTION can be calculated after a reassessment interval and a comparison of individual's score differences from Time 1 (assessment) to Time 2 (re-assessment). Increases in scores indicate improvement in task performance and satisfaction.	Change from Baseline before device intervention (30 days), and after device intervention (60 days)
Roll Evaluation of Activities of Life (REAL) assessment	The REAL is an instrument to help professionals assess an individuals ability to care for themselves at home, at school and in the community. This assessment includes 136 total items with two domains(ADL: 78 items, IADL:58 items) that are rated using a 4-point scale (0-3) to describe whether an individual is unable, sleds, occasionally, or frequently able to complete a task. Scores are summed for each domain and compared over time with increases in scores indicating improvement in each domain.	Change from Baseline before device intervention (30 days), and after device intervention (60 days)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: AbiliTech Medical Inc.
• Collaborators: Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 26, 2022
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): June 30, 2023
• Study Completion (Anticipated): June 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 3, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 3, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): June 8, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 5, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 1, 2022
• Last Verified: December 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Brain Damage, Chronic; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Genetic Diseases, X-Linked; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Spinal Cord Diseases; Muscular Disorders, Atrophic; Atrophy; Motor Neuron Disease; Cerebral Palsy; Muscular Dystrophies; Muscular Atrophy; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal; Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle
• Other Study ID Numbers: Schulze

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: Yes