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Sensory Substitution for Arm Control After Stroke

This study is exploring if using vibrotactile stimulation (small vibrations, like those in activity trackers) can help improve arm control for people who have had a stroke. It focuses on individuals who have lost proprioception (the sense of where your body parts are in space) after a stroke. Researchers will recruit 30 participants to see if this stimulation, applied to the non-moving arm and hand, can improve how well they perform reaching movements and daily tasks like drinking from a glass. The main goal is to see how much the accuracy of arm movements improves over 4 to 6 weeks.

Study design
This is an interventional study with 30 planned participants. It is a single-site study, meaning all participants will be recruited from one location.
What's involved
You would participate in a longitudinal study spanning 24 days, including baseline tests of cognitive performance on Day 1 and sensorimotor function on Day 2.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
The primary endpoint is measured across experimental sessions spanning a typical time frame of 4 to 6 weeks.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT03298243

Use of Sensory Substitution to Improve Arm Control After Stroke

Recruiting
NAAges 21+InterventionalBasic science
Marquette University
~30 participants
Updated 2025-09-29 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Vibrotactile stimulation

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Root Mean Square Kinematic Error
Measured over across experimental sessions spanning a typical time frame of 4 to 6 weeks

Conditions

Stroke
Proprioceptive Disorders

Explore related trials

Proprioceptive DisordersStroke

NCT03298243

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Marquette University

    Milwaukee, Wisconsinstudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Study leadership

  • Robert A Scheidt, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Marquette University

Who to contact

Robert A Scheidt, PhD
[email protected]
(414)288-6124
Email the study team

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

stroke survivors who can perform our stabilization and grip modulation tasks and who
had a single ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in the chronic state of recovery (\> 6 months post-stroke).
ability to give informed consent and be able to follow two-stage instructions.
mild-to-moderate motor impairment as assessed using the upper extremity (UE) portion of the Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment (FM); i.e., UE-FM score between 28 and 50 (inclusive) out of a possible 66.
proprioceptive deficit at the elbow in the more involved (contralesional) arm.
preserved tactile sensation in either the ipsilesional arm and/or thigh.
a minimal active wrist extension of 5°.

Exclusion

Inability of subjects to give informed consent or follow two-stage instructions.
subjects with a bleeding disorder.
subjects with fixed contractures or a history of tendon transfer in the involved limb.
subjects with a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or any disease that might interfere with neuromuscular function.
subjects who are currently using or under the influence of aminoglycoside antibiotics, curare-like agents, or other agents that may interfere with neuromuscular function.
subjects with a history of epilepsy.
history of other psychiatric co-morbidities (e.g. schizophrenia).
malignant or benign intra-axial neoplasms.
concurrent illness limiting the capacity to conform to study requirements.
Cardiac pacemaker, cardiac arrhythmia or history of significant cardiovascular or respiratory compromise.
subjects with profound atrophy or excessive weakness of muscles in the target area(s) of testing.
subjects with a systemic infection.

What this trial measures

  • Root Mean Square Kinematic Erroracross experimental sessions spanning a typical time frame of 4 to 6 weeks

    orthogonal distance between target and hand position during reaching and stabilizing