Brain Connections for Arm Movement After Stroke

Launched by VA OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT · Feb 24, 2020

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

**Trial Summary: Brain Connections for Arm Movement After Stroke**

This clinical trial is exploring how different areas of the brain help control arm movements in people who have had a stroke. Researchers will use a technique called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) while participants make reaching movements with a robotic arm. This study aims to understand how these brain areas function before and after a stroke and to find out when they are most responsive to TMS.

If you or a loved one is between the ages of 45 and 90 and has experienced a stroke at least six months ago, you may qualify to participate. Eligible participants should have mild to moderate difficulty using one arm due to a stroke. There are also control participants without stroke who can join if they meet the same age and health criteria. Participants can expect to engage in training and testing sessions that will help researchers learn more about brain function and recovery after a stroke. It's important to note that those with certain serious medical conditions, specific physical limitations, or who are pregnant cannot participate. This study is currently recruiting, so if you’re interested, it could be a chance to contribute to understanding stroke recovery!

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• Inclusion Criteria (control participants):
• • Be 45-90 years of age
• • Have adequate language and neurocognitive function to participate in training and testing
• • Be medically stable to participate in the study
• • Be English speaking
• Inclusion Criteria (participants with stroke):
• • Be 45-90 years of age
• • Clinically defined, unilateral, hemiparetic stroke with radiologic exclusion of other possible diagnosis
• • Stroke onset at least 6 months before enrollment
• • Subcortical stroke (ex: internal capsule, deep white matter of posterior frontal lobe)
• • Present with mild to moderate arm dysfunction
• • Be medically stable to participate in the study
• • Be English speaking
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • (for both groups)
• • Unable to give informed consent
• • Have a serious complicating medical illness that would preclude participation
• • Contractures or orthopedic problems limiting range of joint motion in the potential study arm or other impairments that would interfere with the study activities
• • Visual loss such that the subject would not be able to see the test patterns on the robot computer monitor
• • Unable to comply with requirements of the study
• • Enrollment in another greater-than-minimal risk study
• • Presence of medical condition or implant that prevents safe administration of TMS or MRI
• • Pregnancy