Feasibility of Video Gaming Technology for Arm Recovery Early Post-stroke

Summary

The investigators are investigating ways to incorporate new technologies that can enhance functional outcome after neurological insult into the patient recovery space. In order to accelerate the translation of these technologies to patient care spaces, the investigators need to identify the locations that are feasible for its use. Currently the investigators are using video game technologies that are used to maximize motor recovery of impaired upper extremities after neurological insult in the outpatient (clinic) setting. These technologies interface with robotics and other hardware to create a therapy experience that is fun, engaging, dynamic, challenging, and promotes repetitions that are otherwise difficult to achieve during conventional post-stroke rehabilitation. The investigators think early use of these technologies could enhance recovery of the arm, but It is not known if use of these technologies in the early post-stroke recovery period is safe and feasible.

Conditions

• Subacute Stroke
• Acute Stroke

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

MindPod Dolphin VGT

The MindPod Dolphin, is an interactive video game that allows users to engage in "non-task-based tasks" to motivate the users to play and relearn motor skills. The MindPod gaming platform uses markerless tracking to sense the patient's affected arm. The paretic limb controls Bandit the dolphin underwater in an effort to eat fish. The patient learns to map his/her movements to Bandit in a 3-Dimensional work space to reach the targets. During gaming, the therapist titrates game difficulty. Bilateral gaming components are used (the participant uses a controller with the participant's less-affected limb to control the timing of Bandit's movement) and in-game difficulty can be adjusted to create an immersive, challenging, and engaging experience. In order to be successful, the patient must coordinate both arms to control the temporal and spatial aspects of the game.

BEHAVIORAL

Bimanual Arm Trainer VGT

The bimanual arm trainer (BAT) is a device that involves hardware that interfaces with a computer game. The BAT promotes shoulder external rotation and elbow extension in the paretic arm by coupling movements of the paretic arm with the less affected limb as the participant matches his/her arm movements to those of a virtual avatar. The less-affected side and paretic limb are placed in the BAT apparatus and the less affected limb "drives" the impaired limb through passive, symmetrical movements that simulate rowing down a virtual river. The protocol created by the investigators group, leads the patient through an active-passive training progression similar to paradigms used in neural priming studies. Through these series of movements, the goal is to restore balance between the muscles of the upper back and chest to maximize range of motion in preparation for improved quality of movement.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Johns Hopkins University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Mona Bahouth, MD, PhD · Johns Hopkins University

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

21 Years

Max Age

90 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-03-12

Primary Completion

2025-03-12

Completion

2025-09-01

Countries

• United States

Study Locations