EMG-Controlled Game to Retrain Upper Extremity Muscle Activation Patterns Following Stroke (GAM)

August 25, 2025 updated by: VA Office of Research and Development
The purpose of this study is to develop and test if upper limb task practice and muscle activity training improve upper limb function in stroke survivors. Participants will be asked to come to the laboratory 23 times (approximately 3 times a week) over 2.5 months to receive upper limb task practice, muscle activity training, and/or upper extremity functional assessments.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to develop and test if upper limb task practice and muscle activity training improve upper limb function in stroke survivors. Participants will be asked to come to the laboratory 23 times (approximately 3 times a week) over 2.5 months to receive upper limb task practice, muscle activity training, and/or upper extremity functional assessments.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

62

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 Contact

Study Locations

  • United States
    • South Carolina
      • Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29401-5703
        • Recruiting
        • Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Na Jin Seo, PhD MS BS

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

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18+ years old
  • Stroke more than 6 months ago
  • Moderate unilateral upper limb impairment
  • Cognitive ability to participate in the study procedure
  • Ability to see the full computer screen

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Concurrent upper limb rehabilitation
  • Inability to voluntarily contract muscles of at least 2 upper limb muscle groups, prohibiting participation in training
  • Change in spasticity medication or botulinum toxin injection in the upper limb within 3 months prior to or during enrollment
  • Total sensory loss
  • Comorbidity (e.g., orthopaedic or premorbid neurologic condition) that limit upper limb movement and/or participation in the intervention
  • Language barrier or cognitive impairment that precludes providing consent

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: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: EMG + task training
Train with EMG-controlled games and functional task practice
Behavioral: practice muscle activation patterns
practice upper limb muscle activation patterns using EMG-controlled games
Behavioral: task practice
practice functional upper limb tasks
Active Comparator: task training
Train with functional task practice
Behavioral: task practice
practice functional upper limb tasks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Wolf Motor Function Test
Time Frame: Within 1 week from intervention completion
Functional abilities scale for completing upper limb tasks
Within 1 week from intervention completion

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

VA Office of Research and Development

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Na Jin Seo, PhD MS BS, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC

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)

July 31, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

March 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 16, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 16, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

November 28, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

August 26, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 25, 2025

Last Verified

August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • A4523-R
  • I01RX004523 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract: VA)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Only de-identified data will be shared in publications, in conference presentations, and upon data sharing request.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

After the primary data are published for up to 5 years from the study completion.

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.

Subscribe