Active clinical trials for "Paresis"

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of MyndMove therapy in the early sub-acute, late sub-acute and chronic post-stroke patients. Other objectives include assessing the required doses of electrical current amplitudes, the usability of the device, and examining the overall safety.

The investigators will study motor recovery after robot-assisted therapy after stroke. A small clinical trial will be conducted to quantify the central nervous system changes associated with robotic or standard training, and identify trends across high and low responders in terms of patterns of change in cortical activity and type of white matter connectivity.The investigators hypothesize that robot training will lead to larger improvements as compared to standard occupational therapy. The investigators hypothesize that high responders to the robot training will have reduced compensatory activation in the bilateral area and will connectivity in the motor tracts.

Stroke is the leading cause of activity limitation among older adults in the United States. NeuroMuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) can assist stroke survivors in regaining motor ability and decreasing activity limitation caused by stroke. This study will research the effects of two types of NMES on reducing motor impairment and activity limitation.

The complexity of sensorimotor control required for hand function as well as the wide range of recovery of manipulative abilities makes rehabilitation of the hand most challenging. The investigators past work has shown that training in a virtual environment (VE) using repetitive, adaptive algorithms has the potential to be an effective rehabilitation medium to facilitate motor recovery of hand function. These findings are in accordance with current neuroscience literature in animals and motor control literature in humans. The investigators are now in a position to refine and optimize elements of the training paradigms to enhance neuroplasticity. The investigators first aim tests if and how competition among body parts for neural representations stifles functional gains from different types of training regimens. The second aim tests the functional benefits of unilateral versus bilateral training regimens.The third aim tests whether functional improvements gained from training in a virtual environment transfer to other (untrained) skills in the real world.

The purpose of this study is to assess efficacy, as well as safety, of Ropinirole in improving movement among patients with chronic stroke.

The objective of this research is to determine if electrical stimulation can improve the strength and coordination of the lower limb muscles, and the walking ability of stroke survivors. The knowledge gained from this study may lead to enhancements in the quality of life of stroke survivors by improving their neurological recovery and mobility. The results may lead to substantial changes in the standard of care for the treatment of lower limb hemiparesis after stroke.

The Take Off Pounds after Stroke (TOPS) trial is a Prospective Randomized Open-Label Blinded Endpoint (PROBE) study that will test a 12-week high protein, calorie restricted, partial meal replacement program, compared to enhanced standard care, for efficacy in achieving clinically significant weight loss without impairment of physical function patients with elevated body mass index (BMI) following a recent ischemic stroke.

The Baby CHAMP Study is a multisite clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health that is examining the the use of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) for infants and toddlers as a effective treatment, since there have been no randomized control trials (RCT) for the age range as well as monitor the stress levels as related by self-report of parents or biological indicators. Infants and toddlers who meet study eligibility requirements at one of the three clinical sites (Charlottesville, VA, Columbus, OH, and Roanoke, VA) will be invited to enroll, and their parents will be provided all necessary paperwork along with informational documentation.

To assess the clinical and neurophysiological efficacy of Xeomin® vs. Botox® in children with spastic equine and equinovarus foot deformation in pediatric cerebral palsy To assess the safety of Xeomin® use as compared to Botox® in this patient population

Rationale: About 80% of stroke patients suffer motor impairments, but current therapies have limited effects on motor recovery. Therefore, investigating new potential therapeutic approaches is crucial. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a form of non-invasive electrical stimulation where a weak current is applied through electrodes over the scalp. This stimulation is known to (1) induce changes in neuronal excitability -which can last up to one day with late LTP-like plasticity protocols- in a polarity and site-specific manner, and (2) facilitate motor learning and stroke recovery. However, it is unknown how the motor cortex excitability changes that follow tDCS relate to the increase in motor learning and recovery potential. The currently upheld hypothesis is that motor learning needs to be synchronized in time with electrical stimulation (paired stimulation), but recent results from our lab suggest that tDCS also increases skill learning after stimulation has ended (unpaired stimulation). If this is true, tDCS has a much larger therapeutic window and is a more valuable clinical tool than currently believed. Therefore, the investigators want to investigate how late LTP-like plasticity tDCS affects the increase in skill learning normally seen with tDCS when applied 24 hours before training. The outcome of this study can provide important guidelines on effective motor therapy during stroke rehabilitation. Objective: Identify the effect of late LTP-like plasticity tDCS in chronic stroke patients on skill learning 24 hours later. Study design: Double-blinded, randomized between-subjects trials. Study population: Chronic stroke patients. Main study parameters/endpoints: The main objective of the study is to determine the effect of late LTP-like plasticity tDCS on skill learning 24 hours later. As a motor learning paradigm, the investigators will use a circuit tracking task which chronic stroke patients perform better if tDCS is applied concurrently. During this task, patients have to trace a cursor over a circuit as fast and accurately as possible by moving a computer mouse. Skill will be quantified by calculating a combined speed/ accuracy score and skill improvement compared to baseline (LI; the learning index) will be compared between the sham, conventional unpaired tDCS, conventional paired tDCS groups and the late LTP-like plasticity tDCS groups.