IVR ON UPPER-LIMB REHABILITATION IN STROKE PATIENTS: A CLINICAL TRIAL (REVICTUS)

May 20, 2026 updated by: Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona Dr. Josep Trueta

Impact of Immersive Virtual Reality in the Rehabilitation in the Acute Phase of Stroke: a Clinical Study and Correlation With Blood Biomarkers and Polymorphisms Related to Neuroplasticity

Stroke is the leading cause of acquired disability in adults. Neurorehabilitation aims to recover the affected function by stimulating neuroplasticity. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has shown that it can be effective but the evidence is still weak. Similarly, few studies have analysed blood biomarkers as outcome or predictive indicators, and knowledge of the influence of genetic polymorphisms on rehabilitation efficacy is limited. Our objectives are (1) to demonstrate that the addition of IVR to conventional rehabilitation (CR) improves upper-limb motor function, functional status, and quality of life in stroke patients, at short and long term; (2) to determine the effect of IVR on the expression of neuroplasticity biomarkers at long term; (3) to evaluate the impact of genetic polymorphisms on the rehabilitation and functional prognosis of treated patients, at short and long term; and (4) to identify acute phase predictive biomarkers of motor recovery and functional prognosis at short and long term. To this end, we propose a single-center, prospective, randomised, controlled, and open label clinical trial with blinded end-point assessment. Adults diagnosed of acute ischaemic/haemorrhagic stroke with mobility impaired in the upper-limb and included in a program of intensive CR (ICR) at hospital discharge will be included. Patients will be randomly assigned into two groups: ICR+IVR or only ICR and will be followed for one year to assess, at 3 and 12 months, motor strength in the upper-limb, functional dependence and quality of life. In blood samples obtained at admission (baseline) and at 12 months, proteins and microRNAs will be analysed to identify predictive biomarkers of recovery (motor and functional) and to determine the effect of IVR on neuroplasticity mechanisms. Genetic polymorphisms that may affect motor and functional recovery of patients treated with RC±RVI will also be analysed

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The study will be conducted as a single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial with blinded endpoint assessment. It aims to evaluate the benefits of neurorehabilitation combining conventional rehabilitation (CR) and immersive virtual reality (IVR) on patients' motor function and functional prognosis, as well as on the expression of blood biomarkers of neuroplasticity and the influence of specific genetic polymorphisms on rehabilitation response.

2. Study population

All patients meeting the following criteria will be included:

Inclusion criteria Diagnosis of ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage. Age > 18 years. < 7 days between stroke onset and inclusion in the study. Impairment of mobility in the right or left upper limb due to stroke. After hospital discharge, patients continue an intensive conventional rehabilitation (ICR) program at their referral rehabilitation center (MUTUAM).

Ability to understand and sign the study informed consent form (ICF) and the IDIBGI Biobank informed consent form.

Patients eligible for participation in the study will be those admitted to the Stroke Unit of Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital (HUJT) with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage. Following clinical stabilization, and always within the first seven days after stroke onset, inclusion and exclusion criteria will be reviewed. Patients and their relatives will be informed about the study and will sign the informed consent forms (study and biobank). Patients will then be randomly assigned to one of the two study groups in a 1:1 ratio using a web-based platform and will be assigned an identification number for pseudonymization purposes.

The study groups will be:

Control group (CR): patients who will receive conventional rehabilitation (CR) in our hospital followed by an intensive conventional rehabilitation (ICR) program at the rehabilitation center.

Intervention group (CR+IVR): patients who will receive, in addition to CR, rehabilitation using the immersive virtual reality (IVR) system in our hospital, followed by the same ICR program as the control group together with IVR therapy at the rehabilitation center.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

120

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

  • Spain
      • Girona, Spain
        • Recruiting
        • Hospital Dr Josep Trueta
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Mikel Terceño, MD PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Elisvan Rufino
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Nuria Bas
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Imma Boada
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Elisabet Ortiz
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Carme Gubern

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

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage. Age > 18 years. < 7 days between stroke onset and inclusion in the study. Impairment of mobility in the right or left upper limb due to stroke. After hospital discharge, patients continue an intensive conventional rehabilitation (ICR) program at their referral rehabilitation center (MUTUAM).

Ability to understand and sign the study informed consent form (ICF) and the IDIBGI Biobank informed consent form.

-

Exclusion Criteria:

Previous upper limb disability (neurological or non-neurological cause). Previous dementia or any disease with a life expectancy of less than 1 year. Language comprehension difficulties. Difficulty remembering exercise instructions. History of photosensitive epilepsy.

-

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: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control Group
Control group (CR): patients who will receive conventional rehabilitation (CR) in our hospital followed by an intensive conventional rehabilitation (ICR) program at the rehabilitation center.
Active Comparator: IVR group
Intervention group (CR+IVR): patients who will receive, in addition to CR, rehabilitation using the immersive virtual reality (IVR) system in our hospital, followed by the same ICR program as the control group together with IVR therapy at the rehabilitation center.
Other: Immersive Virtual Reality
patients who will receive, in addition to CR, rehabilitation using the immersive virtual reality (IVR) system in our hospital, followed by the same ICR program as the control group together with IVR therapy at the rehabilitation center.
Other Names:
  • Control Group
  • IVR Group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Motor Function
Time Frame: at 3 and 12 months
NIHSS assessment of arm function
at 3 and 12 months
Quality of life of patients
Time Frame: 3 and 12 months
ECVI-38
3 and 12 months
Functional outcome
Time Frame: 3 and 12 months
modified Rankin scale
3 and 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
FAC
Time Frame: 3 and 12 months
Assessment of FAC
3 and 12 months
Fugl-Meyer
Time Frame: 3 and 12 months
Fugl-Meyer Assessment
3 and 12 months
BBT
Time Frame: 3 and 12 months
Assessment of BBT (Box and Block Test)
3 and 12 months
9HPT
Time Frame: 3 and 12 months
Assessment of 9HPT (Nine-Hole Peg Test)
3 and 12 months
Safety measure
Time Frame: 3 months
Adverse events
3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona Dr. Josep Trueta

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 (Actual)

August 31, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 29, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 20, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 20, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2024.085
  • PI24/00008 (Other Grant/Funding Number: ISCIII)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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