Neuroplastic Change in Myelin of the Brain

NCT ID: NCT01937910

Last Updated: 2017-01-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 88 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2014-09-30
• Study Completion Date: 2018-09-30

Brief Summary

The main goal of this research is to advance understanding of how stroke changes both the structure and function of the brain. The investigators will determine which is the key driver of recovery of arm function after stroke: changes in the structure of the brain or changes in how brain regions interact with one another.

Detailed Description

The main goal of this research is to advance understanding of how stroke changes both the structure and function of the brain. Further, the investigators will determine which is the key driver of recovery of arm function after stroke: changes in the structure of the brain or changes in how brain regions interact with one another. Together, these data will advance the investigators understanding of how neural systems support recovery from stroke. The investigators will use a MRI technique that allows us to assess the health of a brain structure called myelin. This structure is important as it allows information to travel down nerves faster; the more myelin the quicker the signal can be conducted. The investigators aim is to test whether or not movement training can restore myelin in the brain. If movement training does restore myelin in the brain, the investigators will have identified an important new target for rehabilitation interventions.

Conditions

Stroke

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Stroke Group

Participants in the stroke group will complete 10 training sessions of the TRAIT task.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

TRAIT Task

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Increased paretic arm will be manipulated through the performance of a semi-immersive virtual reality-based intercept and release task called TRAIT (TRack And Intercept Task), which is performed in an interactive environment. TRAIT employs an open source Kinect sensor, which tracks 3-D joint movement. Participants are asked to control an on-screen icon using movements of their paretic arm to intercept a moving object as it emerges from the side of a computer screen. Once intercepted, they must accurately throw the object to hit a target. Participants move up through 10 levels of the game as their skill improves. Participants will complete 10 TRAIT training sessions in 4 weeks for a total of 10,000 experimental movements.

Matched Healthy Control Group

Participants in the Matched Healthy Control group will complete 10 sessions of the TRAIT task

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

TRAIT Task

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Increased paretic arm will be manipulated through the performance of a semi-immersive virtual reality-based intercept and release task called TRAIT (TRack And Intercept Task), which is performed in an interactive environment. TRAIT employs an open source Kinect sensor, which tracks 3-D joint movement. Participants are asked to control an on-screen icon using movements of their paretic arm to intercept a moving object as it emerges from the side of a computer screen. Once intercepted, they must accurately throw the object to hit a target. Participants move up through 10 levels of the game as their skill improves. Participants will complete 10 TRAIT training sessions in 4 weeks for a total of 10,000 experimental movements.

Interventions

TRAIT Task

Increased paretic arm will be manipulated through the performance of a semi-immersive virtual reality-based intercept and release task called TRAIT (TRack And Intercept Task), which is performed in an interactive environment. TRAIT employs an open source Kinect sensor, which tracks 3-D joint movement. Participants are asked to control an on-screen icon using movements of their paretic arm to intercept a moving object as it emerges from the side of a computer screen. Once intercepted, they must accurately throw the object to hit a target. Participants move up through 10 levels of the game as their skill improves. Participants will complete 10 TRAIT training sessions in 4 weeks for a total of 10,000 experimental movements.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• individuals aged 40-75
• movement-related deficits associated with a middle cerebral artery stroke
• first time stroke affecting the corona radiata and/or internal capsule
• Fugl-Meyer upper extremity motor score of at least 15 but not greater than 55.

Exclusion Criteria

• outside the age range of 40-75
• show signs of dementia (score < 24 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment)
• have aphasia (score < 13 on the Frenchay Aphasia Screen)
• history of head trauma, a major psychiatric diagnosis, neurodegenerative disorder or substance abuse;
• taking any drugs (GABAergic, N-methyl-D-aspartate A-receptor (NMDA) antagonist) known to influence neuroplasticity;
• report contraindications to MRI (see supporting documents)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 75 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of British Columbia

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Lara A Boyd, PT; PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of British Columbia

Locations

University of British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Canada

Central Contacts

Tamara Koren, MA

Role: CONTACT

tamara.koren@ubc.ca

604-822-6886

Lara Boyd, PhD; PT

Role: CONTACT

lara.boyd@ubc.ca

604-827-3369

Other Identifiers

H13-01952

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id