Effect of I-TRAVLE Training on Arm Function in MS and Chronic Stroke Patients

Launched by HASSELT UNIVERSITY · Aug 6, 2013

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

All tests and exercises are pain free, easy to perform, non-intrusive, and not high demanding. Subjects will have to undergo an assessment via a movement protocol as well as clinical outcome tests. In both cases the type of assessment does not differ from the normal assessment at a rehabilitation centre. The training is assisted using a robotic device called the Haptic Master (HM). The participant's arm is attached to the HM via a gimbal. The HM has a number of safety features to avoid overload on the participant's arm. Any potential risk for overload is minimised by a) careful build-up of ...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Clinically diagnosed with a central paresis of the arm/hand at entry in the study, caused by a supratentorial stroke;
• • Post-stroke time more than 6 months (i.e. chronic phase after stroke);
• • Having completed their active clinical rehabilitation program
• * Hemiparesis featuring a low to moderate proximal (shoulder and arm) muscle strength:
• • Motricity Index shoulder/arm item: minimum score of 14 and maximum 25 (out of 33), corresponding to a maximum active shoulder abduction of up to 90 degrees without resistance; and/or a minimum active shoulder anteflexion of 30 degrees and a maximum active range of motion of 120 degrees shoulder joint anteflexion which can actively be maintained for 10 seconds;
• • a fair cognitive level, i.e. being able to understand the questionnaires and measurement instructions;
• • ability to read and understand Dutch.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Severe spasticity of the arm, i.e. Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score for the elbow and wrist flexors: each ≥ 3;
• • Severe visual impairment and/or severe cognitive impairment which may interfere with the execution of the arm-hand tasks or the measurements;
• • Severe neglect in the near extra personal space (38), established by the letter cancellation test (39) and Bell's test (quantitative evaluation, (40)) with a minimum omission score of 15% (Ferber, 2001);
• • Broca aphasia, Wernicke aphasia, global aphasia: as determined by the Akense Afasie Test (AAT) (41);
• • Severe apraxia as measured by the apraxia test of van Heugten (42);
• • no informed consent.