REACTplusNMES Trial for Stroke Recovery

This study is looking at ways to improve balance and prevent falls in people who have had a stroke. It compares two types of training: "Reactive balance training with Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (REACT-NMES)" and "Reactive balance training without Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (REACT)". Both groups will use a special treadmill that creates slips to help improve balance. The REACT-NMES group will also receive electrical stimulation to their leg muscles. You might be able to join if you are 18-90 years old, had a stroke more than 6 months ago, can walk for at least 2 minutes, and can understand English. The study will measure changes in falls and how well you can react to balance challenges. The current status of this study is unclear.

Study design
This is a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial that plans to enroll 46 participants. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups.
What's involved
Participants will undergo 12 training sessions over 6 weeks, with 24 slips per session. Measurements will be taken at the beginning of the study and again after 9 weeks.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed up to 9 weeks after the start of the study for primary endpoint measurements.

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

NCT06127602

The REACTplusNMES Trial: A Double-blinded RCT

Recruiting
NAAges 18–90InterventionalTreatment
University of Illinois at Chicago
~46 participants
Updated 2026-07-07 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Reactive balance training with Neuromuscular Electrical StimulationReactive balance training without Neuromuscular Electrical 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
Change in Falls
Measured over Pre-training (during week 2 i.e., Session 2), Post-training (during week 9 i.e., Session 16)
+6 more outcomes measured
Stroke, Ischemic
Stroke Hemorrhagic
Stroke, Cerebrovascular

NCT06127602

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.

  • University of Illinois at Chicago

    Chicago, Illinoisstudy 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.

  • Tanvi Bhatt · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Illinois at Chicago

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Age group: 18-90 years.
Presence of hemiparesis.
Onset of stroke (\> 6 months).
Ability to walk at least for 2 minutes on the treadmill with or without ankle foot orthosis.
Can understand and communicate in English.
Cognitively and behaviorally capable of complying with the regimen (Mini-Mental State Examination \> 25/30).
No history or recent use (i.e., past 6 weeks) of any Neuromuscular electrical stimulation device to leg muscles during walking (e.g., Bioness, Walkaide).

Exclusion

Subjects will not proceed with the test if any of the following occurs at baseline measurement: 1) HR \> 85% of age-predicted maximal heart rate (HRmax) (HRmax = 220 - age), 2) systolic blood pressure (SBP) \> 165 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) \> 110 mmHg during rest, or 3) oxygen saturation (measured by pulse oximeter) \< 95% during rest.
Body weight of more than 250 lbs.
Spasticity (Ashworth scale \> 2).
Loss of protective sensations on the paretic leg (indicated by inability to perceive the 5.07/10 g on Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament) or inability to feel the NMES.
Severe osteoporosis (indicated by T score \< -2)
Cognitive impairment (indicated by Mini-Mental State Exam score\<25)
Global Aphasia (indicated by \<71% on the Mississippi Aphasia Screening Test).
Subjects with Chedoke McMaster Leg Assessment Scale score (\> 4).
  • Change in FallsPre-training (during week 2 i.e., Session 2), Post-training (during week 9 i.e., Session 16)

    A fall will be detected when the force exerted through the safety-harness load cell exceeds 30% of a person's body weight and verified with video analysis. Otherwise, the trial will be a balance recovery. Higher percentages indicate more falls.

  • Change in Reactive StabilityPre-training (during week 2 i.e., Session 2), Post-training (during week 9 i.e., Session 16)

    Reactive stability (dimensionless) will be measured at the time point of compensatory limb touchdown after slipping. Stability will be calculated as the shortest distance from the COM state to the backward balance loss threshold. The instantaneous COM state is determined by its position and velocity (computed from filtered marker data) relative to the BOS, normalized respectively to foot length and the square root of the product of gravitational acceleration and body height. Higher values indicate better reactive stability.

  • Change in Proactive StabilityPre-training (during week 2 i.e., Session 2), Post-training (during week 9 i.e., Session 16)

    Proactive stability (dimensionless) will be measured at the time point of slipping limb touchdown i.e., before slipping. Stability will be calculated as the shortest distance from the COM state to the backward balance loss threshold. The instantaneous COM state is determined by its position and velocity (computed from filtered marker data) relative to the BOS, normalized respectively to foot length and the square root of the product of gravitational acceleration and body height. Higher values indicate better proactive stability.

  • Change in Vertical Limb supportPre-training (during week 2 i.e., Session 2), Post-training (during week 9 i.e., Session 16)

    Vertical limb support (dimensionless) is quantified by the quotient of hip vertical velocity to its height (VZhip/ Zhip). Zhip will be obtained as the vertical distance of the bilateral hip midpoint to the surface of the platform and its vertical velocity (VZhip), as the first-order differentiation of hip height. Its positive direction is upward. Higher values indicate better vertical limb support.

  • Change in Muscle synergiesPre-training (during week 2 i.e., Session 2), Post-training (during week 9 i.e., Session 16)

    To assess the muscular synergies, electromyography sensors will be applied to four muscle groups on both lower limbs. The muscle groups include tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, quadriceps and hamstring group of muscles. Higher values indicate more muscle synergies.

  • Change in Perturbation-evoked potentialsPre-training (during week 2 i.e., Session 2), Post-training (during week 9 i.e., Session 16)

    Data from different midline electroencephalographic (EEG) channels overlying lower limb frontal, sensorimotor and parietal regions will be used to extract the perturbation-evoked potentials (P1, N1, P2 and N2) to assess their spatio-temporal parameter (amplitude: microvolts, latency: seconds)

  • Change in time-frequency powerPre-training (during week 2 i.e., Session 2), Post-training (during week 9 i.e., Session 16)

    Data from different midline electroencephalographic channels overlying lower limb frontal, sensorimotor, and parietal regions will be used to extract the alpha, beta, theta, and gamma power (decibels). Higher values indicate more frequency power.