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Wearable Sensors and Smartphone App for Stroke Survivors

This study is looking at whether using a smartphone app with wearable sensors can help stroke survivors use their affected arm more in daily life. You might be able to join if you are a stroke survivor (ischemic or hemorrhagic) aged 18-80, at least 12 months post-stroke, and have some movement in your fingers and wrist. The study will compare your arm use during a baseline week (wearing sensors without app feedback) to your arm use during a three-week intervention period (wearing sensors and actively using the app). Success will be measured by how much and how long you use your affected arm, as recorded by the sensors and a questionnaire called the Motor Activity Log.

Study design
This interventional study plans to enroll 50 participants. Each participant will serve as their own control, comparing their arm use during a baseline period to an intervention period.
What's involved
You will wear wrist and finger sensors for a total of 4 weeks. During the intervention phase, you will also interact with a smartphone app and receive daily reminders.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your arm use will be measured at the start, after one week, and at the end of the four-week intervention period.

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

NCT06787729

At Home Wearable Sensors and Smartphone for Stroke Survivors With Upper Limb Motor Challenges.

Recruiting
NAAges 18–80InterventionalTreatment
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
~50 participants
Updated 2026-07-13 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:mHealth

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Motor Activity Log - Amount of Use
Measured over Week 0, Week 1, Week 4
+1 more outcome measured

Conditions

Stroke

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Stroke

NCT06787729

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.

  • Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Motion Analysis Laboratory

    Charlestown, Massachusettsstudy 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

  • Paolo Bonato, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Director of Motion Analysis Laboratory

Who to contact

Kathy Piela, PT, DPT
[email protected]
617-952-6388
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Stroke survivor (ischemic or hemorrhagic), \>12 months post stroke, at the time of consent
Aged between 18 and 80
Ability to extend ≥ 10° at the metacarpophalangeal joint and one of the interphalangeal joints of each finger, ≥ 10° extension or abduction of the thumb, and ≥ 20° extension of the wrist from a fully flexed starting position.
Demonstrating more affected arm nonuse, defined as a MAL-AoU score of \</= 4.5.
Actively uses at least one smartphone app.
Strong beliefs towards being in control of their recovery, indicated by a score of ≤ 10 points on the Internal Recovery Locus of Control (I-RLOC) Scale.
Participants must be able to read, write, and understand English at a level sufficient to comprehend study materials and provide informed consent.

Exclusion

Cognitive impairments that may affect the ability to understand and follow instructions (score \< 24 in the Mini Mental State Examination)
Difficulties comprehending numbers, dyslexia, severe aphasia, or other neurological conditions that prohibit the use of smartphones for safety reasons.
Undergoing other types of motor therapy during the study period.
Previous participation in constraint-induced movement therapy.
Currently participating in or has participated in the past 3 months in any experimental rehabilitation or drug studies.
Use of botulinum toxin for motor disability ≤ 3 months before treatment.
Significant changes in pharmacological or treatment plans during the study period that may affect upper-limb use.
Major medical problems that could interfere with participation.
History of a disabling stroke (i.e., need more than minimum assistance to perform ADLs).
Legally blind status.
Uncontrolled seizures.
Inability to don/doff sensors independently or with the assistance of a caregiver.
Implantable medical devices that do not comply with the ISO 14117:2012 and/or ANSI/AAMI PC69 standards for electromagnetic compatibility. Subjects will be asked to provide their medical device record card, and non-compliant devices will result in exclusion from the study.

What this trial measures

  • Motor Activity Log - Amount of UseWeek 0, Week 1, Week 4

    This outcome measure assesses upper extremity function and use through patient report. Items are scored using a 6-point ordinal scale. For the Amount Scale, 0=the weaker arm was not used at all for that activity (not used), while 5=the weaker arm was used as often as before the stroke (same as pre-stroke). The score is calculated by adding the rating scores for each item and dividing by the number of items asked.

  • Use DurationFrom enrollment to the end of the intervention period at 4 weeks

    This measure evaluates the duration for which a patient actively uses their stroke-affected limb during daily activities, as recorded by a wearable accelerometer placed on the stroke-affected index finger. The unit is minutes, with a range from 0 to 3600. A value of 0 indicates no use of the stroke-affected limb during the 24-hour period, while 3600 indicates continuous activity of the limb throughout the day. To compute Use Duration, the continuous accelerometer data is segmented into short intervals (e.g., one second), and the duration is calculated by counting the time intervals where the acceleration magnitude exceeds a threshold (e.g., \> 1.134 g).