User-centred Assistive System for Arm Functions in Neuromuscular Subjects

NCT ID: NCT03127241

Last Updated: 2019-12-10

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

38 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-06-16

Study Completion Date

2019-11-30

Brief Summary

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Restore a lost function is a special experience for people affected by neuromuscular evolutive diseases. "From the patient's point of view improvement is measured by regaining lost abilities,-by being able to do something -anything-today I couldn't do yesterday ". Upper limb pain, stiffness and activity limitations have a crucial role in reducing patients' autonomy and worsening quality of life.

Real users' needs have been identified thought several workshops, and even if the commercial products might assure a benefit to some users and meet most of their requirements, so far a validation of the use of such devices by people with neuromuscular disease is missing.

We aim at field-testing the improvement in arm functions provided by the use of some commercial devices and assessing their impact to users' quality of life and independence. This step is essential to assure a widespread accessibility to these devices for most of the potential users, possibly providing health providers with direction and guidance towards Health Technology Assessment.

Clinical Trial design - The study proposes on-field validation of JAECO WREX, passive antigravity exoskeleton; and Armon Ayura, motorized arm exoskeleton for gravity compensation in a randomized controlled trial with crossover design. The clinical study will is multi-centric, involving both MEDEA and VALDUCE, and received the Ethical Committee approval.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Muscular Dystrophies Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Becker Muscular Dystrophy, Limb-Girdle Type 2

Keywords

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Assistive devices Randomized controlled trial (RCT) Upper limbs Robotic devices

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Armon Ayura

Upper limb assistive device with active solutions for gravity compensation. Intervention: The upper limb exoskeleton is worn by the patient on the preferred arm, and it is used during daily life activities to support arm movements, particularly getting rid of gravity arm weight.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Assistive device (Armon Ayura) test

Intervention Type DEVICE

Short Training (T0-T1) - each subject will undergo a 3-day training at the clinical center during which technicians, along with a physiotherapist will adjust and customize the device and explain possible independent use at home.

Domestic use (T1-T2) - Subjects will use the device during their daily life activities for two weeks at home. They will perform task-oriented movements (e.g. reaching a mouse and objects on a table, moving back to the wheelchair, drinking), free movements, playful activities (e.g. playing chess, leafing through a book), and self-care activities, accordingly to subject's residual capability, for a minimum period of 5 hours/day. They will keep a structured diary where all the problems, achievements and comments will be reported.

Jaeco Wrex

Upper limb assistive device with passive solutions for gravity compensation. Intervention: The upper limb exoskeleton is worn by the patient on the preferred arm, and it is used during daily life activities to support arm movements, particularly getting rid of gravity arm weight.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Assistive device (Jaeco Wrex) test

Intervention Type DEVICE

Short Training (T0-T1) - each subject will undergo a 3-day training at the clinical center during which technicians, along with a physiotherapist will adjust and customize the device and explain possible independent use at home.

Domestic use (T1-T2) - Subjects will use the device during their daily life activities for two weeks at home. They will perform task-oriented movements (e.g. reaching a mouse and objects on a table, moving back to the wheelchair, drinking), free movements, playful activities (e.g. playing chess, leafing through a book), and self-care activities, accordingly to subject's residual capability, for a minimum period of 5 hours/day. They will keep a structured diary where all the problems, achievements and comments will be reported.

Interventions

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Assistive device (Armon Ayura) test

Short Training (T0-T1) - each subject will undergo a 3-day training at the clinical center during which technicians, along with a physiotherapist will adjust and customize the device and explain possible independent use at home.

Domestic use (T1-T2) - Subjects will use the device during their daily life activities for two weeks at home. They will perform task-oriented movements (e.g. reaching a mouse and objects on a table, moving back to the wheelchair, drinking), free movements, playful activities (e.g. playing chess, leafing through a book), and self-care activities, accordingly to subject's residual capability, for a minimum period of 5 hours/day. They will keep a structured diary where all the problems, achievements and comments will be reported.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Assistive device (Jaeco Wrex) test

Short Training (T0-T1) - each subject will undergo a 3-day training at the clinical center during which technicians, along with a physiotherapist will adjust and customize the device and explain possible independent use at home.

Domestic use (T1-T2) - Subjects will use the device during their daily life activities for two weeks at home. They will perform task-oriented movements (e.g. reaching a mouse and objects on a table, moving back to the wheelchair, drinking), free movements, playful activities (e.g. playing chess, leafing through a book), and self-care activities, accordingly to subject's residual capability, for a minimum period of 5 hours/day. They will keep a structured diary where all the problems, achievements and comments will be reported.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* signed informed consent (we will expose the family the aims of our study and carefully describe the need of compliance with them)
* diagnosis of muscular dystrophy (genetic, histological and biochemical if necessary),specifically with Duchenne, Becker and Limb Girdle type 2 muscular dystrophy. No muscle biopsy will be performed, except in case there is a diagnostic need.
* being wheelchair bound
* having a scoring at the MRC scale for upper limb at the deltoid, biceps, triceps brachii muscles ranging from 2 to 4.

Exclusion Criteria

* presence of additional diseases (for example: family history of mental retardation, epilepsy, cerebral palsy)
* behavioral and psychiatric disturbances (emotional problems, depression)
* absence of compliance to the study of the family and the caregivers
Minimum Eligible Age

15 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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IRCCS Eugenio Medea

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Villa Beretta Rehabilitation Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Politecnico di Milano

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Alessandra Pedrocchi

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Alessandra Pedrocchi, Prof

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Politecnico di Milano

Locations

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IRCCS E. Medea - La Nostra Famiglia

Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy

Site Status

Villa Beretta

Costa Masnaga, LC, Italy

Site Status

Countries

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Italy

References

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Pane M, Fanelli L, Mazzone ES, Olivieri G, D'Amico A, Messina S, Scutifero M, Battini R, Petillo R, Frosini S, Sivo S, Vita GL, Bruno C, Mongini T, Pegoraro E, De Sanctis R, Gardani A, Berardinelli A, Lanzillotta V, Carlesi A, Viggiano E, Cavallaro F, Sframeli M, Bello L, Barp A, Bianco F, Bonfiglio S, Rolle E, Palermo C, D'Angelo G, Pini A, Iotti E, Gorni K, Baranello G, Bertini E, Politano L, Sormani MP, Mercuri E. Benefits of glucocorticoids in non-ambulant boys/men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A multicentric longitudinal study using the Performance of Upper Limb test. Neuromuscul Disord. 2015 Oct;25(10):749-53. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2015.07.009. Epub 2015 Jul 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Magliano L, D'Angelo MG, Vita G, Pane M, D'Amico A, Balottin U, Angelini C, Battini R, Politano L, Patalano M, Sagliocchi A, Civati F, Brighina E, Vita GL, Messina S, Sframeli M, Lombardo ME, Scalise R, Colia G, Catteruccia M, Berardinelli A, Motta MC, Gaiani A, Semplicini C, Bello L, Astrea G, Zaccaro A, Scutifero M. Psychological and practical difficulties among parents and healthy siblings of children with Duchenne vs. Becker muscular dystrophy: an Italian comparative study. Acta Myol. 2014 Dec;33(3):136-43.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Longatelli V, Antonietti A, Biffi E, Diella E, D'Angelo MG, Rossini M, Molteni F, Bocciolone M, Pedrocchi A, Gandolla M. User-centred assistive SystEm for arm Functions in neUromuscuLar subjects (USEFUL): a randomized controlled study. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2021 Jan 6;18(1):4. doi: 10.1186/s12984-020-00794-z.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 33407580 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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GUP 15021

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id