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Effect of NMES on Balance and Fall Risk in Chronic Stroke

NCT04957355 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2026-05-22

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The aim of this study is to describe the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in the form of functional electrical stimulation (FES) applied to different lower limb muscles on reactive balance and gait performance in stroke participants.

Methods: Twenty individuals with chronic stroke will be asked to perform an experimental protocol that includes a postural disturbance in the form of a slip- or trip-like perturbation and a standardized walking test in both laboratory and outdoor environments with and without FES applied to different lower limb muscles of the paretic leg. FES will be applied using an advanced software that is able to synchronize muscle activation with the time of perturbation onset and according to the phases of gait.

This project design aims to examine whether a specific pattern of lower limb muscle stimulation could improve the kinematic and behavioral responses during reactive balance following slip- and trip-like perturbations. Additionally, the project aims to see if the kinematic and spatio-temporal gait parameters can be modified during a standardized walking test under different sensory and environmental conditions.

Conditions

  • Chronic Stroke

Interventions

DEVICE

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) or Functional electrical stimulation (FES)

Stance and Walk-Perturbation Training Protocol ActiveStep and Surefooted Protocol: Perturbation training protocol with and without FES Participants will be asked to perform a postural disturbance protocol in the stance position and walk in the form of 7 slips and 7 trips with two retention trials after the training using the ActiveStep treadmill system while fitted in a safety harness. All perturbations will be delivered at each participant's comfortable walking speed. Similar slip and trip training in walking will be conducted on the surefooted platform with and without FES. Gait Training Protocol and Surefooted protocol Participants will be asked to perform a 10m walking test (walking for a distance of 45 feet) in a laboratory environment six times (three times with and without FES) and in an outdoor environment located in the parking lot of the Applied Health Science building (1919 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL)

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Illinois at Chicago

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Tanvi Bhatt, PhD · University of Illinois at Chicago

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
90 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2021-05-15
Primary Completion
2027-08-31
Completion
2027-11-30
FDA Device
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04957355 on ClinicalTrials.gov