Comparing Different Rehabilitation Exercise Strategies for Improving Arm Recovery After Stroke

Summary

The purpose of this research study is to measure the effect of participating in extra arm exercise in addition to standard rehabilitation exercises in the Acute Rehabilitation Unit. This study will compare two different ways to perform the extra arm exercise. The first is following a customized program of hand and arm exercises that will be developed for study participants by an experienced rehabilitation therapist. The second is moving a participants arm back and forth when they are sitting in their wheelchair by using a moveable wheelchair arm rest (Boost).

Conditions

• Stroke

Interventions

DEVICE

Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Armrest

The movable wheelchair arm rest device is a novel wheelchair armrest that quickly clicks into a manual wheelchair frame just like a conventional armrest. However, unlike a conventional armrest, the movable wheelchair arm rest device allows users to activate arm muscles in a way that is appropriate for the early stages of stroke recovery and consistent with the Feys et al. rocking chair approach: with biomechanical support of the shoulder, without high cognitive demand, and focusing on the "out-of-synergy" movement pattern that requires elbow extension. For the study, the investigators ask participants to exercise using Boost for a 30-minute period per day for 5 times a week in addition to their regular therapy until their discharge from the unit.

BEHAVIORAL

Electronic Arm and Hand Exercise Program

These exercises will be assigned to the participants electronically using a commercial home exercise program platform commonly used by hospital systems (i.e.: Medbridge). They will be encouraged to exercise for 30 min/day in addition to the regular rehabilitation therapy at ARU. These exercises will be monitored and supervised by therapists who have been trained in the study protocol. Once participants are discharged from the unit, they will be allowed to keep the electronic exercise program until their 3-month post stroke follow up visit, the last visit of the study. For this study, the investigators ask participants to exercise following this customized arm and hand exercise program for a 30-minute period per day for 5 times a week in addition to their regular therapy until their discharge from the unit.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Flint Rehabilitation Devices, LLC

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• Rancho Research Institute, Inc.

  collaborator OTHER

• Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare

  collaborator OTHER

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

  collaborator NIH

• University of California, Irvine

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• An Do, MD · University of California, Irvine

• Charles Liu, MD · Rancho Research Institute

• Emily Rosario, PhD · Casa Colina Research Institute

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

84 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-09-15

Primary Completion

2025-01-31

Completion

2025-02-28

Countries

• United States

Study Locations