Active clinical trials for "Stroke"

After a stroke, people find it difficult to perform everyday activities independently, like getting dressed, preparing meals, and shopping, limiting their independence and requiring the assistance of a family member, friend or a home care worker. Losing one's independence can decrease quality of life. Functional exercise classes run by physical therapists where people with stroke practice getting in and out of a chair, stepping, and walking, can improve the ability to balance, walk, and do everyday activities. These classes are not commonly available in community centres, mainly because fitness instructors do not receive training in how to run exercise classes for people with stroke. Therefore there is a need to make these functional exercise programs available in local community centres. The objective of this project is to test procedures for running a large study to see whether people with stroke improve their ability to do everyday activities after participating in functional group exercise classes for 12 weeks in local community centres. If ability to do everyday activities improves, the investigators wish to see if the improvement is still present 3, 6 and 9 months later. Physical therapists at a nearby hospital will teach fitness instructors how to run the exercise class, help out during the classes, and answer questions by email or phone. Before conducting the larger Canada-wide study, it is important to determine the interest in such a program, the acceptability of the evaluations and the costs associated with the program, the degree of improvements resulting from the program, and if fitness instructors are able to run the program as planned. In Toronto, London and Pembroke, Canada, managers at a hospital and a nearby recreation centre have agreed to help run the exercise program. A recruiter will ask people with stroke who can walk and are being discharged home from the hospital whether they can be called about the study. People with stroke and a caregiver who agree to participate in the study will complete four evaluations when they enter the study, and 3, 6, and 12 months later. At each evaluation, people with stroke will perform tests of balance and walking, and complete questionnaires about their mood, participation in valued activities, and quality of life. After the first evaluation, the investigators will use a process like flipping a coin, to see if the person with stroke will begin the exercise program immediately or 12 months later. The investigators will call people each month to ask if a fall occurred. The investigators will interview exercise participants, family members and hospital/recreation staff at the end of the study to ask about the experiences. This project is unique because the program combines the expert knowledge and skills of physical therapists and fitness instructors. The exercise program involves practicing everyday movements, making the exercises easy for fitness instructors and people with stroke to learn. Each exercise has multiple levels of difficulty so the instructor can adapt exercises to how the person is feeling. The exercise program does not require expensive equipment (e.g. chairs, stepping stools) and therefore can be offered in most community centres. Finally, an extensive network of hospitals providing stroke care and community centres run by recreation organizations exists in Canada. Thus, if this program is beneficial, it could easily be made widely available. With the number of Canadians living with the consequences of stroke increasing every year, access to a functional exercise programs in local community centres will improve their ability to function and live independently in the community and reduce the burden on family or caregivers and on the healthcare system.

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) refers to a group of modalities that are used to induce electric currents to and within the brain for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. Two major types of NIBS techniques are currently in use on humans for clinical and research applications: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Transcranial Current Stimulation (tCS). Moreover, the studies evaluating the clinical benefit of mental practice in stroke so far are mostly small feasibility studies, while the few randomized controlled trials reported had relatively small sample sizes. As such, the evidence for mental practice in the treatment of movement disorders following stroke, and other neurological conditions, remains somewhat anecdotal. Purpose of our research is to show the effect of combining brain stimulation and mental imagery on functional recovery of upper limb in stroke.

This research project addresses a scientifically important question that cannot be answered by other means. The use of peripheral nerve stimulation has the potential to enhance recovery in subacute stroke patients with poor functional recovery. The primary objective of this proposal is to demonstrate that peripheral nerve stimulation combined with intensive motor training has the ability to further improve hand motor function when compared to intensive training alone or nerve stimulation alone. The results from this study have the potential to develop new strategies in neurorehabilitation.

The aims of this study are to (i) develop exergames by using Kinect system for training UE function in patient with stroke; and (ii) to test the game's feasibility and effects in a group of patient with chronic stroke.

The aim of the study is to determine if single-bolus recombinant nonimmunogenic staphylokinase is effective and save thrombolytic agent in patients with ischemic stroke in comparison to alteplase.

To explore the efficacy and safety of Jiedu Tongluo granules for post stroke depression. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was designed. The treatment group was administered the Jiedu Tongluo granules, while the control group was administered the placebo.

As aphasia is one of the most common and disabling disorders following stroke, in many cases resolving in long-term deficits, it is now thought that intensive aphasia therapy is effective, even in the chronic phase following stroke. However, as intensive aphasia rehabilitation is difficult to achieve in clinical practice, tablet-based aphasia therapies are explored to further facilitate language recovery. Although there is mounting evidence that computer-based treatments are effective, it is also important to assess the feasibility, usability and acceptability of these technologies, especially in the acute phase post stroke. The investigators assume that tablet-based aphasia therapy is a feasible treatment option for patients with aphasia in the acute phase following stroke. The researchers also believe that the specific app that will be used in therapy is user-friendly and that it will be well accepted by this specific patient population.

Stroke is a leading cause of mobility disability for adults. Selfit is an advanced practice system that enables a wide range of exercises to improve patient mobility in the sub-acute stage after a stroke. The system collects, measures and analyzes the patient's activity in practice.

Early term rehabilitation initiated after stroke should be based on motor learning principles and neural plasticity. To achieve motor learning and neural plasticity, exercises consisting of intense and repetitive training should be given according to the patients' functional level. The neurodevelopmental treatment-Bobath (NDT_B) approach is based on motor learning principles. In literature, studies that show the early term effects of NDT-B on functional recovery are inadequate. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects NDT-B applied in the early term of stroke, on postural control, functional movement, balance and activities of daily living.

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is the most common type of stroke, which has high rate of morbidity, mortality and disability. A large number of studies have confirmed that the thrombolytic therapy can effectively open blood vessels and improve the functional prognosis of acute ischemic stroke. Therefore, all guidelines recommend intravenous thrombolysis as the first treatment of ischemic stroke patients within 4.5 hours of onset. However, about 1/3 patients receiving thrombolysis will have good prognosis, while a large number of patients will still be disabled and even dead. How to improve the neurological prognosis of thrombolytic patients has been a hot topic in the world. Recent studies have found that the combined application of argatroban and rt-PA in the treatment of AIS might improve the clinical prognosis and not significantly increase bleeding. Some studies have reported that the combined application of argatroban and rt-PA could improve the blood vessel opening rate, and prevent re-occlusion after opening. Based on the discussion, the present study is designed to explore the efficacy and safety of argatroban plus rt-PA in the treatment of AIS.