Studies Into Touch in Healthy Humans to Provide Sensory Feedback in Prostheses

Launched by INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTÉ ET DE LA RECHERCHE MÉDICALE, FRANCE · Sep 16, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, called the TACTHUM project, is exploring how our sense of touch works and how we can use this knowledge to improve prosthetic devices for people who have lost limbs. The researchers want to understand how our skin and muscles send signals to our brain when we touch different surfaces, and how factors like temperature, texture, and even our emotions can affect this sense of touch. By learning more about these sensory signals, the goal is to create prosthetics that provide users with realistic feedback, helping them feel more connected to their environment.

To participate in this study, you need to be between 20 and 70 years old and be able to sit still for about four hours. If you're an amputee, it's important that your amputation happened more than two years ago. However, certain health conditions, like diabetes or a history of neurological issues, may prevent you from joining. If you're eligible, you'll help researchers gather valuable information about how touch works, which could lead to better prosthetics in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Men and women aged between 20 and 70.
• • Be a member of a social security scheme, or a beneficiary of such a scheme
• • Be calm enough to sit still for four hours.
• • Specific for people participating in Arm 7 on amputees: People with an upper or lower limb amputation (unilateral) of more than 2 years.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Have peripheral neuropathy (diabetes, Raynaud's disease) or chronic muscle and/or sensory pain.
• • Have a neurological or psychiatric history.
• • Be subject to epilepsy.
• • Be pregnant (declared) or breastfeeding, having given birth within the last year.
• • Be afraid of injections.
• • Being under dermatological treatment.
• • Have a pacemaker.
• • Not being able to understand the information leaflet and the consent form or sign it.
• • Be subject to a legal protection measure (declarative)
• • Be a protected adult (curatorship or guardianship)