GaMA Metric to Quantify Functional Importance of Various Upper Limb Prosthetic Devices

March 12, 2025 updated by: Laura Miller, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

The Functional Importance of Powered Wrist Flexion for Transradial Prosthetic Users

The goal of this study is to utilize the Gaze and Movement Assessment (GaMA) metric to assess the effect of different prosthetic components on compensatory movements used to complete activities of daily living.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Evaluating the benefit of new prosthetic components and control mechanisms can be challenging, as most validated outcome measures assess the time required to complete various tasks without assessing the quality of the movement or the specific DOF(s) activated to accomplish the task. There are no adequate methods to evaluate the impact of new technology. The functional outcome measures recommended by The Academy of Prosthetics and Orthotics Upper Limb Prosthetic Outcome Measures (ULPOM) committee, which provided recommendations for measuring functional effectiveness of prosthetic treatment, mainly focus on the time to complete the task rather than assessing the compensatory movements.

The Gaze and Movement Assessment (GaMA) is a new validated and standardized metric to quantify the functional characteristics of prosthesis use by quantifying motion (three dimensional angular kinematics), gaze behavior and performance during simulated real-world tasks. There are two tasks, the Cup Transfer Task and the Pasta Box Task, used with the GAMA testing hardware. The tasks require movements representing day-to-day functional requirements, while challenging typical prosthetic limitations such as reaching and transporting objects at varying heights and across the body and lack of wrist motion. Each task can be subdivided into specific phases of reaching, grasping, transporting and releasing objects. A performance aspect encourages the participant to work efficiently, and tasks are short to allow multiple repetitions within a reasonable testing time frame to assess performance consistency. By breaking down each task into movements (i.e., of the pasta box from one shelf to the next), and each movement into specific phases (reach, grasp, transport, and release), the investigators can examine these components individually. It is hypothesized that additional degrees-of-freedom (for example wrist flexion) may require more time but will reduce the compensatory movements required to complete the tasks.

The primary endpoint of the study is to quantify the effect of various prosthetics components on kinematics.

The secondary endpoint is to obtain normative data for the GaMA system and system validation.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

45

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

    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
        • Shirley Ryan Abilitylab

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • A unilateral upper limb amputation or absence below the elbow
  • Ability to use a myoelectric prosthesis
  • English Speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Significant new injury that would prevent use of a prosthesis: The ability to consistently wear a prosthesis and perform activities of daily living and specific performance tasks is necessary to evaluate the relative benefits of the interventions.
  • Cognitive impairment sufficient to adversely affect understanding of or compliance with study requirements, ability to communicate experiences, or ability to give informed consent: The ability to understand and comply with requirements of the study is essential in order for the study to generate useable, reliable data.
  • Significant other comorbidity: Any other medical issues or injuries that would preclude completion of the study, use of the prostheses, or that would otherwise prevent acquisition of useable data by researchers

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Able-bodied participants
Participants without amputation were enrolled to collect normative data for system validation. Adhesive motion capture markers will be placed on both arms (upper arm, forearm, hand and finger tips), thoracic spine and sacrum. The participant wears a specialized headband/glasses with an attached camera for eye tracking. The participant will pick up and move objects of different shapes to and from various heights.
Active Comparator: Transradial amputee participants
Individuals using their home prosthesis when available. Adhesive motion capture markers will be placed on both arms (upper arm, forearm, hand and finger tips), thoracic spine and sacrum. The participant will wear a headband with attached markers for eye tracking. The participant will pick up and move objects of different shapes to and from various heights.
Clinically prescribed prosthesis:
Experimental: Transradial amputee participants - Wrist rotation+1 dof hand
Individuals with transradial amputation fit with experimental prosthesis consisting of wrist rotation and one degree of freedom hand. Adhesive motion capture markers will be placed on both arms (upper arm, forearm, hand and finger tips), thoracic spine and sacrum. The participant will wear a headband with attached markers for eye tracking. The participant will pick up and move objects of different shapes to and from various heights.
1-DOF wrist rotation and1-DOF hand
Experimental: Transradial amputee participants - Wrist rotation + wrist flexion +1 dof hand
Individuals with transradial amputation fit with experimental prosthesis consisting of wrist rotation, wrist flexion and one degree of freedom hand. Adhesive motion capture markers will be placed on both arms (upper arm, forearm, hand and finger tips), thoracic spine and sacrum. The participant will wear a headband with attached markers for eye tracking. The participant will pick up and move objects of different shapes to and from various heights.
2-DOF wrist (rotation and flexion) and 1-DOF hand
Experimental: Transradial amputee participants - Wrist rotation + multi degree freedom hand
Individuals with transradial amputation fit with experimental prosthesis consisting of wrist rotation and multi degree freedom hand. Adhesive motion capture markers will be placed on both arms (upper arm, forearm, hand and finger tips), thoracic spine and sacrum. The participant will wear a headband with attached markers for eye tracking. The participant will pick up and move objects of different shapes to and from various heights.
1-DOF wrist rotation and multi-DOF hand
Experimental: Transradial amputee participants - Wrist rotation + wrist flexion + multi degree freedom hand
Individuals with transradial amputation fit with experimental prosthesis consisting of wrist rotation, wrist flexion and multi degree freedom hand. Adhesive motion capture markers will be placed on both arms (upper arm, forearm, hand and finger tips), thoracic spine and sacrum. The participant will wear a headband with attached markers for eye tracking. The participant will pick up and move objects of different shapes to and from various heights.
2-DOF wrist (rotation and flexion) and multi-DOF hand

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Kinematics data while performing the Pasta Box Task
Time Frame: After 6-week home trial

Utilizes motion capture hardware during prosthesis use and collects three dimensional angular kinematics, gaze behavior and performance during simulated tasks.

Participants move a pasta box from the target on a side cart at the right side of the body onto a mid-height shelf target in front of them. Then they move the box from the mid-height shelf target to the high shelf target on the opposite side. Finally, they pick up the pasta box from the high shelf target and return it to the initial position.

Each task can be subdivided into specific phases of reaching, grasping, transporting and releasing objects. By breaking down each task into movements, and each movement into specific phases (reach, grasp, transport, and release), the investigators can examine these components individually.

After 6-week home trial
Kinematics data while performing the Cup Transfer Task
Time Frame: After 6-week home trial

Utilizes motion capture hardware during prosthesis use and collects three dimensional angular kinematics, gaze behavior and performance during simulated tasks.

The Cup transfer task consists of moving two cups filled with beads (simulating being filled with liquid) over a partition and back again for a total of four object movements. The cups are deformable and will spill beads if grabbed too hard. Like in the Pasta task, participants start each trial with their hand in the home position and their eyes fixated on a centered motion capture marker.

Each task can be subdivided into specific phases of reaching, grasping, transporting and releasing objects. By breaking down each task into movements, and each movement into specific phases (reach, grasp, transport, and release), the investigators can examine these components individually.

After 6-week home trial

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Eye gaze data while performing the Pasta Box Task
Time Frame: After 6 week home trial
Eye tracking hardware during prosthesis use the GAMA collects three dimensional gaze behavior and performance during simulated tasks.
After 6 week home trial
Eye gaze data while performing the Cup Transfer Task
Time Frame: After 6 week home trial
Eye tracking hardware during prosthesis use the GAMA collects three dimensional gaze behavior and performance during simulated tasks.
After 6 week home trial

Collaborators and Investigators

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

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)

April 20, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 13, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 17, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

May 20, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 12, 2025

Last Verified

March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • STU00211352

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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