Active clinical trials for "Stroke"

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability worldwide. Often, severe neurological deficits occur after a stroke and roughly 70% of all stroke survivors have some form of hand function disability. To improve the lives of those with hand function disability, IRegained Inc. has created the MyHandTM System. The MyHandTM System is a smart-mechatronic device programmed with proprietary hand function training regiments (protocols) based on deep research in neuroplasticity. It provides a highly unique and targeted approach to hand function rehabilitation with the help of the aforementioned protocols delivered with gamified training techniques. The gamified format of the protocols allows for better patient engagement, thus allowing for more effective and efficient therapy. Individuals who have sustained a stroke 5 months or earlier (considered to be chronic stroke survivors) will be eligible to participate in this study. Participants will undergo a 2-hour training session, 2-3 days per week, over 12 weeks, for a total of 30 sessions. Hand function therapy will be administered in a specific and gamified manner to enhance rehabilitation of the hand and provide participants with greater opportunity to regain hand function over the course of the study. The goal of this research project is to understand how a gamified approach to hand function rehabilitation impacts engagement and motivation. This understanding will directly translate into the development of more efficient and effective modes of therapy.

A stroke due to a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a neurological deficit characterized by the rapid settlement of signs and symptoms due to focal or global loss of cerebral function, without any apparent cause other than vascular causes. Stroke is one of the most common cardiovascular events in the world. In addition to complications such as spasticity, loss of strength, balance problems, speech and swallowing problems, pulmonary complications are also common in stroke. When the literature is examined, there are a limited number of studies evaluating respiratory functions and functional capacity as a result of core stabilization exercises applied to stroke patients. There is no study in the literature examining the results of core stabilization exercises on respiratory functions, functional capacity, trunk control, and balance in stroke patients. The aim of this study; to investigate the effects of core stabilization training applied in addition to traditional physical therapy on respiratory functions, functional capacity, trunk control, and balance in stroke individuals after cerebrovascular accidents.

This is a prospective, randomized, open-label, evaluator-blinded, single center, proof of concept trial to explore possible beneficial effect of minocycline on acute ischemic stroke (AIS) undergoing endovascular treatment due to basilar artery occlusion (BAO). Minocycline has excellent safety profiles, have been previously demonstrated individually to reduce infarction in animal models of stroke, and have potentially mechanisms of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and protection of blood-brain barrier. However, it is not known whether minocycline can reduce futile recanalization of endovascular treatment, and improve the outcome of patients with AIS due to BAO. Eligible and willing subjects will be randomly assigned to the treatment group or the control group. The treatment group will receive 200 mg oral minocycline within three hours prior to successful reperfusion, followed by 100 mg every 12 hours times for a total of 5 days. Both groups will receive endovascular thrombectomy and standard medical. The treatment with minocycline will start as soon as possible after diagnosis of stroke. Measures of stroke severity and disability will be recorded at baseline and through the follow-up periods (90 days). The evaluator will be blind to the allocation of patients further minimizing the bias.

The RECOMMENCER project aims at developing and testing a novel hybrid Brain Computer Interface device based on cortico-muscular connectivity, that will be employed to activate Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) of upper limb muscles. After the technical implementation of the device and its preliminary testing on healthy subject, the investigators will evaluate the effects of a 1 month training with the device (RECOM) on post-stroke patients undergoing standard rehabilitation (add-on). The proposed intervention will be compared with an active physiotherapy training including FES (CTRL) which will be focused on upper limb with similar intensity as the target intervention (also delivered in add-on).

This study will enroll 15 participants in each exercise condition (groups described below). Aim 1: Determine feasibility of lingual endurance training for individuals with persistent dysphagia after ischemic stroke. Primary outcome measures: patient adherence (# of attempted repetitions/# prescribed repetitions) and dose delivery (# of repetitions meeting goal/# prescribed repetitions). Aim 2: Determine efficacy of lingual endurance training on improving critical aspects of oropharyngeal swallowing (physiologic impairments, clearance of oropharyngeal residue, airway protection), functional oral intake, and patient reported swallowing quality of life in individuals with persistent dysphagia after ischemic stroke. Primary outcome measures: improvement on videofluoroscopic assessment of swallowing function using the gold standard Modified Barium Swallowing Impairment Profile (MBSImP) Overall Impairment (OI) score and Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) score. Secondary outcome measures: oropharyngeal residue - Normalized Residue Ratio Scale (NRRS); airway invasion - Penetration Aspiration Scale (PAS). Patient reported outcome measures: EAT-10 (Eating Assessment Tool) and the Swallowing Quality of Life Questionnaire (SWAL-QoL). Aim 3: Determine if lingual endurance training + transference exercise (Exercise Group #2) results in better transference of exercise effects to the aforementioned outcomes of swallow safety and efficiency (in Aim2).

Stroke is a major cause of disability in worldwide, causing billions of euros direct and indirect costs to the community. Upper limb motor dysfunction is seen in about 50% stroke survivors. Upper extremity paresis is identified as a strong component for performing activities of daily living (ADL) (Veerbeek 2011). Upper-limb rehabilitation is crucial during the first three to six months since the onset of stroke because the motor and ADL-performance recovery of stroke survivors declines afterward (Kwakkel & Kollen, 2013, Wade et al., 1983). The main advantages of using robot-assisted therapy are to deliver high-dosage and high-intensity training (Sivan et al., 2011). Robot-assisted training enables a greater number of repetitive tasks to be practised in a consistent and controllable manner. A dose of greater than 20 h of repetitive task training improves upper limb motor recovery following a stroke (Pollock 2014) and, therefore, robot-assisted training has the potential to improve arm motor recovery after stroke. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is the field of interest and is incorporated to stroke rehabilitation in many institutes. Low-frequency rTMS to the unaffected hemisphere could normalize the inhibitory imbalance between hemispheres (Adeyemo et al., 2012). The safety and application guidelines of transcranial magnetic stimulation were extensively reviewed by Rossi et al. (2009). It is opposed that there is no effect of rTMS alone on upper extremity (UE) disabilities, but rTMS in combination with another rehabilitation treatment potentiates the effect of the rehabilitation treatment alone with regards to UE impairment. There is inconclusive evidence that the combined treatment (rTMS + conventional rehabilitation) have effect on UE disabilities. Treatment effects have been described in acute, subacute and chronic stroke patients, though it is proposed, that there is lack of late subacute phase rTMS studies that used FMA for outcome measure (van Lieshout, 2019). In this single-case study the investigators compare different rehabilitation modules - self exercising (baseline), robot assisted training, rTMS and intensive motor training guided by therapist, to improve the use of paretic hand. The aim of this study is to show if there is clinically relevant improvement of the motion or function of upper extremity in different treatment strategies and if any of these treatment is superior to self-training.

The evidence supporting routine provision of high-dose, high-intensity upper limb neurorehabilitation treatment for stroke survivors beyond the first few months after stroke is limited. The Queen Square Upper Limb (QSUL) programme provides 90 hours of upper limb neurorehabilitation over 3-weeks to chronic stroke survivors. The recently published service evaluation demonstrated encouragingly large, clinically meaningful effects at the level of activity and body function. An alternative way to deliver high doses of effective therapy is through technological developments, e.g. immersive interactive gaming environments such as the MindPod Dolphin programme. The intention of this study is to provide stronger level evidence for intensive upper limb rehabilitation by conducting a randomised controlled trial of two different types of upper limb training compared to usual care. Patients considered suitable for the QSUL programme will be randomised to either: Group 1- intensive upper limb rehabilitation programme (QSUL); Group 2- MindPod programme; Group 3-wait-list control (who will be offered the treatment after the waiting list is complete). The first aim of the study is to compare the effect of each type of high-dose, high-intensity upper limb training to usual care using measures of upper limb impairment and activity levels 3 months after treatment is complete. The secondary aims are to comply with recent recommended by the Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable, and (i) investigate the effects of upper limb neurorehabilitation on kinematics of upper limb movement (using a KINARM exoskeleton), and (ii) use neuroimaging (MRI and EEG) and neurophysiological (TMS) measures to determine the characteristics of stroke survivors who are most likely to benefit from this treatment approach. The results from this work will (i) help determine the impact of two methods of high dose, high intensity upper limb training in chronic stroke patients; (ii) identify whether there are any predictors of treatment response that will help stratify patients in future clinical trials of upper limb neurorehabilitation.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of head acupuncture combined with endovascular therapy for cerebral infarction compared with endovascular therapy alone

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of different dual-task practices on activities of daily living in stroke patients. The sample size was calculated as 18 people for each group and 36 people in total, with a 20% drop out. MC (Motor - Cognitive) group will receive 60 minutes motor - cognitive dual task intervention 5 day per week for 4 weeks in clinic. MM (Motor - Motor) group will receive 60 minutes motor - motor dual task intervention 5 day per week for 4 weeks in clinic. As the primary outcomes in the study; Modified Barthel Index will be used to evaluate basic activities of daily living, Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living Index designed specifically for stroke to evaluate instrumental activities of daily living, and Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 to evaluate participation in activities of daily living. As secondary outcomes; 10 Meter Walk Test will be used for functional mobility assessment, Timed Up and Go Test and Berg Balance Scale will be used for balance assessment, Motor Activity Log-28 will be used to assess upper extremity functions, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test will be used for cognitive status assessment.

In the proposed study, the investigators assumed that mirror therapy combined with augmented reality technology will provide a better treatment effects than traditional mirror therapy for the patients with unilateral stroke. The aim of the study is to examine the difference in the treatment effects among the combination of task-oriented training with either augmented reality based mirror therapy, mirror therapy or traditional occupational therapy on the upper extremity function and brain activity of the stroke patients.