Active clinical trials for "Stroke"

Comparisons of two types of rehabilitation robot for upper extremities: 3 dimension exoskeleton type upper extremity robot vs. 2 dimension end-effector type robot)

This study will compare the effectiveness of different polarities of transcranial direct current stimulation paired with intensive motor training in recovery of upper extremity function in individuals with severe post-stroke hemiparesis. The hypothesis is that more severely impaired individuals will derive greater benefit from anodal stimulation of the ipsilesional hemisphere or cathodal stimulation of the contralesional hemisphere than dual stimulation (anodal applied to the ipsilesional hemisphere and cathodal applied to the contralesional hemisphere.)

This project will assess the effects of aerobic exercise training (AET), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or their combination on depressive severity as well as locomotor function in persons with post-stroke depression (PSD). Both AET and rTMS are established stand-alone treatments for non-stroke related depression, though neither has been adequately studied post-stroke. Furthermore, substantive research indicates that AET improves post-stroke locomotor function, thus offering a novel approach for treating PSD as well as an established vehicle to study the effects of PSD on response to rehabilitation. The purpose of this project is to determine the impact of AET, rTMS and their combination (AET+rTMS) treatments on post-stroke depressive symptoms and locomotor function so as to guide the development of a future clinical trial. A total of 40 depressed post-stroke subjects will be randomly assigned to one of four groups 1) AET; 2) rTMS; 3) combined AET and rTMS (AET+rTMS) or 4) control (sham rTMS) group (n=10 per condition; equally distributed with mild and moderate MDD). Further, an additional 10 non-depressed post-stroke subjects will complete 8 weeks of AET so as to allow us to determine the effects of PSD on response to training (Aim 2). Training (AET, rTMS and AET+rTMS) will take place over an 8-week period, three times per week on non-consecutive days. Measures of depression (HRSD17) as well as self-selected walking speed (SSWS) will be performed prior to the initial treatment session of each week as well as 8 weeks following cessation of treatment. Additional measures of locomotor function (walking endurance and amount of daily community stepping) will be assessed prior to training (pre), following 4 weeks of training (mid), upon completion of 8 weeks of training (post) as well as 8 weeks following cessation of training (follow-up), allowing determination of the efficacy (and persistence) of training on these outcomes.

There is a need to improve the discharge process for patients with stroke, which has been reported to be a particularly stressful time for patients. A Patient Oriented Discharge Summary (PODS) meeting has been shown to be an effective approach for minimizing discharge-related stress and fostering self-management skills in other patients being discharged from rehabilitation into the community. The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate whether a PODS meeting can minimize stress around the discharge process and improve patient satisfaction with this process. There are two main hypotheses regarding the PODS program: 1) it will help in-patients with stroke understand key issues related to knowledge required once discharged and 2) it will increase levels of self-efficacy in in-patients with stroke. Potential subjects are encouraged to participate if they are a Sunnybrook - St. John's Rehab admitted in-patient with a stroke diagnosis who are 18 years or older and meet the following criteria: (a) fluent in English; (b) cognitively intact; and (c) have minimal or no aphasia.The participant will be asked to answer some surveys 8-10 days prior to discharge about their knowledge and confidence in managing their stroke. The participant will then be asked to meet with a clinical staff member who will hold a one-hour PODS meeting. In the meeting, a discharge plan will be created and given to the patient that covers a number of topics that will be useful following their return to the community. One day following the PODS meeting, the participant will be asked to answer the same survey they completed prior to the PODS and again 3-5 days following discharge. If the participant is interested they will be asked to undergo a brief interview to get their feedback on the PODS Program. It is anticipated that about 20 people will participate in the program with all 20 patients completing the surveys with 6 being asked to complete the brief interview. To the best of the investigators knowledge, there is little risk associated with this study. Participants may become uncomfortable during the interview while discussing their experiences. By participating in this study, patients will be provided with a chance to gather information and learn problem solving and self-management skills prior to discharge. It is the hope of this project that it can lead to a more effective approach in supporting the transition from the hospital to the community for patients with stroke

The purpose of this single-subject, concurrent mixed methods study is to investigate the relationship between the effect of the CIMT protocol on gait and mobility and participants' and caregivers' expectations and perceptions regarding the treatment. The goal of the quantitative strand is to assess changes in quality of movement and functional use of the paretic lower limb after the treatment and investigate the participants' expectations in regards the intervention using the Participant Opinion Survey (POS). The qualitative strand (participant interviews) will determine perspectives of caregiver and participant perspectives regarding protocol acceptability. Both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected and analyzed concurrently, through triangulation and complementarity rationales; both data will be equally prioritized.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on functional outcome in patients with acute stroke, the investigators conducted a sham-controlled, double-blind pilot trial during inpatient rehabilitation. Patients with acute stroke were recruited and randomly assigned to auto-titrating or sham-CPAP during their rehabilitation stay.

Investigators will study whether immediate statin treatment after the onset of stroke is beneficial on the neurological protection

Stroke results in long-term disability for many people, and particularly for survivors of stroke who have cognitive impairments. However, a decreasing proportion of stroke patients are able to access or receive publicly funded rehabilitation. The investigators have shown in previous studies that in-person delivery of the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) rehabilitation approach to promoting attainment of everyday life goals has resulted in improvements in functional independence and executive function. In a small pilot study of tele-CO-OP with people with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) (n=3), the investigators found the delivery method was feasible and that participants were satisfied with the treatment and demonstrated clinically significant improvements on personally meaningful activities. The investigators will investigate the feasibility, preliminary efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of delivering CO-OP in an online format to reduce disability post-stroke. The study design is a single-blind (assessor), randomized wait-list control trial with a one-month retention follow-up. All therapy and testing sessions will be delivered online. We hypothesize that participants will demonstrate improvement in everyday activities and community participation.

The purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate how a predetermined outdoor walking program (12 weeks) is best delivered to individuals with stroke over 18 years, either by smartphone and the Short Message Service (SMS) or video link. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate how the study design works in practice and determine the effects of the outdoor walking exercise program in combination with a leg exercise on physical functioning (walking capacity, gait speed, mobility and grip strength).

This current study proposes to analyze the feasibility and effects of the two most used therapies, constraint-induced movement therapy and hand-arm bimanual intensive training, in very young infants (less than one year) with perinatal stroke and with a high risk to develop hemiplegic CP.