Visual Cues for Gait Training Post-stroke

NCT ID: NCT01600391

Last Updated: 2014-12-03

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2012-05-31

Study Completion Date

2014-03-31

Brief Summary

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Given that visual information comprises one of the most important and salient sources of information used during walking, that visual cues have been shown to be more effective than auditory cues in triggering gait adjustments and that stroke survivors have been reported to become more dependent on visual cues, the investigators hypothesize that visual cues would be more effective in triggering gait recovery and adaptability following stroke than interventions not including visual cues.

The investigators will integrate visual cues with walking and turning practice, and contrast this intervention to routine overground walking practice. Stroke participants recruited from NHS stroke rehabilitation clinics in the West Midlands, will be randomized to one of three gait rehabilitation groups. Each group will receive the same frequency and duration of treatment delivered by qualified physiotherapists. Overground visual cue training (OVCT) and usual care (UC) groups will be treated in participating NHS sites. Treadmill training with visual cues (TVCT) will take place at the University of Birmingham.

Detailed Description

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The gait of many stroke patients remains impoverished and characterized by impairments including asymmetries in propulsive forces between the paretic and non-paretic limbs, step lengths, widths and stance and swing phase durations. Currently there is insufficient evidence that current rehabilitation strategies improve walking in people who are more than 6 months post-stroke.

The purpose of the trial is to determine the necessary information on which to base a future definitive trial examining the effectiveness of visual cues for gait training following stroke in contrast to conventional over-ground walking practice.

The study will determine the numbers of patients willing to be recruited into both control and VCT groups; the willingness of physiotherapists at each collaborating site to enroll patients to usual care OVCT and TVCT groups.

It will determine the numbers of patients who do not complete the allocated treatment, thus dropping out of the study, and the reasons for dropping out.

The knowledge gathered about recruitment, outcomes and drop-out rates will determine sample size for a subsequent definitive trial.

The study will also measure completeness of outcome data, i.e. percentage of patients with no missing values in outcome assessments.

Conditions

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Stroke

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Usual Care

A task specific-based intervention that does not include use of visual cues to influence quality or adaptability of gait.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Usual care

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Walking rehabilitation for 1 hour, 2 times per week and 8 weeks duration. Usual care intervention that does not include use of visual cues to influence quality or adaptability of gait.

Overground visual cue training

Overground visual cue training will involve stepping to targets which are positioned to improve gait symmetry and speed. Training will include turning practice and the avoidance of obstacles for adaptability during straight walking.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Overground visual cue training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Walking rehabilitation for 1 hour, 2 times per week and 8 weeks duration. Overground visual cue training will involve stepping to targets, which are positioned to improve walking pattern according to needs identified in baseline assessment. Treatment will progress from practice of improved stepping pattern (symmetry of stepping) and speed to practice of adjusting footfalls by avoiding targets randomly, as one might need to be able to do to avoid an obstacle or an uneven surface. Training will also involve turning practice.Overground visual cue training will be delivered by National Health Service therapists in participating National Health Service sites.

Treadmill visual cue training

Treadmill training with visual cues will be delivered using a force-instrumented treadmill (CMill, Forcelink, NL). Walking training will involve stepping to targets which are positioned to improve gait symmetry and speed. Training will include turning practice and the avoidance of obstacles for adaptability during straight walking.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Treadmill visual cue training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Walking rehabilitation for 1 hour, 2 times per week and 8 weeks duration. Treadmill training with visual cues will be delivered using a force-instrumented treadmill (CMill, Forcelink, NL). The Treadmill visual cue training will involve participants stepping to targets shone onto a treadmill. Treatment will progress from practice of improved stepping pattern (symmetry of stepping) and speed to practice of adjusting footfalls by avoiding targets randomly, as one might need to be able to do to avoid an obstacle or an uneven surface. Training will also involve turning practice. Treadmill visual cue training will be delivered by qualified physiotherapists at the University of Birmingham.

Interventions

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Usual care

Walking rehabilitation for 1 hour, 2 times per week and 8 weeks duration. Usual care intervention that does not include use of visual cues to influence quality or adaptability of gait.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Overground visual cue training

Walking rehabilitation for 1 hour, 2 times per week and 8 weeks duration. Overground visual cue training will involve stepping to targets, which are positioned to improve walking pattern according to needs identified in baseline assessment. Treatment will progress from practice of improved stepping pattern (symmetry of stepping) and speed to practice of adjusting footfalls by avoiding targets randomly, as one might need to be able to do to avoid an obstacle or an uneven surface. Training will also involve turning practice.Overground visual cue training will be delivered by National Health Service therapists in participating National Health Service sites.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Treadmill visual cue training

Walking rehabilitation for 1 hour, 2 times per week and 8 weeks duration. Treadmill training with visual cues will be delivered using a force-instrumented treadmill (CMill, Forcelink, NL). The Treadmill visual cue training will involve participants stepping to targets shone onto a treadmill. Treatment will progress from practice of improved stepping pattern (symmetry of stepping) and speed to practice of adjusting footfalls by avoiding targets randomly, as one might need to be able to do to avoid an obstacle or an uneven surface. Training will also involve turning practice. Treadmill visual cue training will be delivered by qualified physiotherapists at the University of Birmingham.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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Standard care Standard physiotherapy Visual cue gait training CMill, Forcelink, NL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Diagnosis of stroke
* Able to walk 10 metres with or without assistance
* Residual paresis in the lower limb (Fugl-Meyer Lower Limb score less than 34)
* Informed written consent.

Exclusion Criteria

* Gait speed more than 0.8 m/s
* Patients with a premorbid (retrospective) modified Rankin Scale score of greater than 3
* Gait deficits attributable to non-stroke pathology
* Visual impairments preventing use of visual cue training (as assessed by Apple Cancellation test
* Concurrent progressive neurologic disorder, acute coronary syndrome, severe heart failure, confirmed or suspected lower-limb fracture preventing mobilization, and those requiring palliative care
* Inability to follow a three step command (as assessed by Modified mini-mental status exam).
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Birmingham

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Nottingham

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Stroke Research Network

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Newcastle, Australia

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Salford

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Dr Kristen Hollands

Chief Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Kristen Hollands, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Salford

Locations

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Birmingham Community Health Care NHS Trust

Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom

Site Status

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hopsitals NHS Trust

Birmingham, , United Kingdom

Site Status

Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust

Birmingham, , United Kingdom

Site Status

South Warickshire NHS Foundation Trust

Birmingham, , United Kingdom

Site Status

Countries

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United Kingdom

References

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Aziz NA, Leonardi-Bee J, Phillips M, Gladman JR, Legg L, Walker MF. Therapy-based rehabilitation services for patients living at home more than one year after stroke. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Apr 16;2008(2):CD005952. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005952.pub2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18425928 (View on PubMed)

Bank PJ, Roerdink M, Peper CE. Comparing the efficacy of metronome beeps and stepping stones to adjust gait: steps to follow! Exp Brain Res. 2011 Mar;209(2):159-69. doi: 10.1007/s00221-010-2531-9. Epub 2011 Jan 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21221956 (View on PubMed)

Bonan IV, Yelnik AP, Colle FM, Michaud C, Normand E, Panigot B, Roth P, Guichard JP, Vicaut E. Reliance on visual information after stroke. Part II: Effectiveness of a balance rehabilitation program with visual cue deprivation after stroke: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2004 Feb;85(2):274-8. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2003.06.016.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 14966713 (View on PubMed)

Patla AE. Understanding the roles of vision in the control of human locomotion. Gait and Posture 5,(1):54-69,February 1997.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Lehmann JF, Condon SM, Price R, deLateur BJ. Gait abnormalities in hemiplegia: their correction by ankle-foot orthoses. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1987 Nov;68(11):763-71.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3675173 (View on PubMed)

Griffin MP, Olney SJ et al. Role of symmetry in gait performance of stroke subjects with hemiplegia. Gait and Posture 3: 132-142, 1995

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Barela JA, Whitall J, et al. An examination of constraints affecting the intralimb coordination of hemiparetic gait. Human Movement Science 19: 251-273, 2000.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Hollands MA, Patla AE, Vickers JN. "Look where you're going!": gaze behaviour associated with maintaining and changing the direction of locomotion. Exp Brain Res. 2002 Mar;143(2):221-30. doi: 10.1007/s00221-001-0983-7. Epub 2002 Jan 10.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11880898 (View on PubMed)

Hollands KL, Pelton TA, Wimperis A, Whitham D, Tan W, Jowett S, Sackley CM, Wing AM, Tyson SF, Mathias J, Hensman M, van Vliet PM. Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of Visual Cue Training to Improve Adaptability of Walking after Stroke: Multi-Centre, Single-Blind Randomised Control Pilot Trial. PLoS One. 2015 Oct 7;10(10):e0139261. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139261. eCollection 2015.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 26445137 (View on PubMed)

Hollands KL, Pelton T, Wimperis A, Whitham D, Jowett S, Sackley C, Alan W, van Vliet P. Visual cue training to improve walking and turning after stroke: a study protocol for a multi-centre, single blind randomised pilot trial. Trials. 2013 Sep 3;14:276. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-14-276.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 24004882 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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VCTpilot

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id