The Effects of Targeted Phantom Motor Execution on Phantom Limb Control
NCT ID: NCT05247827
Last Updated: 2023-12-08
Study Results
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Basic Information
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COMPLETED
NA
30 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2022-06-01
2023-05-01
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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Study #1:
In people with TTA, post-amputation exercises focus on strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance training of the residual limb and intact limb muscles. Phantom limb motor execution, the active movement of the amputated body part, is not usually encouraged until a patient complains of PLP with the hypothesis that this intervention could re-organize the motor cortex to pre-amputation neural network and function. It was shown that phantom motor execution promoted by mirror therapy, virtual reality, and augmented reality could be used as a non-invasive therapy to relieve PLP in people with limb amputation. However, it is not clear if training with phantom motor execution improves peripheral control over the phantom limb. Therefore, this study explores the effects of a targeted phantom motor execution program on PLC in people with unilateral TTA.
Specific aim: To determine if targeted phantom motor execution improves control of the phantom limb, as measured by EMG patterning, in people with unilateral TTA.
Research hypothesis: People with unilateral TTA will improve control of their phantom limb after completion of a targeted phantom motor execution program.
Study #2:
Prosthetic embodiment is a sense that people with limb amputation feel that their prosthesis is integrated into their body and acts like their limb before amputation. It has been shown that higher prosthesis embodiment is associated with less PLP with the thought that it reverses brain plasticity after amputation. It is not clear whether prosthetic embodiment has any effect on PLC. This study explores the potential association between prosthetic embodiment and PLC in people with unilateral TTA.
Specific aim: To determine if there is a correlation between prosthetic embodiment, as measured by the self-reported TAPES-R and PEmbS-LLA questionnaires, and PLC (self-report), in people with unilateral TTA.
Research hypothesis: There is a strong positive association between prosthetic embodiment and PLC in people with unilateral TTA.
Study #3:
Surgical closure of the dissected muscles of the residual limb has been shown to impact PLP in people with limb amputation. The two most common surgical closure techniques are myodesis connection of the dissected muscles to bone/periosteum, and myoplasty, the connection of the dissected muscles to antagonist muscles. Residual limb muscles activity and PLA could be influenced by the distal closure of the dissected muscles. However, there is a scarcity of evidence on how surgical closure impacts the PLC. This study explores the association of surgical closure with PLC by measuring the symmetry of EMG muscle activity between the amputated and intact sides in people with unilateral TTA.
Specific aim: To determine if PLC, as measured by the symmetry of EMG muscle activity, is influenced by the surgical closure technique of the dissected muscles.
Research hypothesis: People who undergo unilateral TTA and myodesis surgical closure of the dissected muscles will have better PLC, as measured by the symmetry of EMG muscle activity, than those who undergo unilateral TTA and myoplasty surgical closure of the dissected muscles.
Study #4:
The previous three studies investigate the effects of the targeted phantom motor execution, prosthetic embodiment, and surgical closure on PLC. In the literature, it has been shown that improvement of PLC has been correlated with decreased PLP, and reduced PLP is associated with better function in people with limb amputation. However, it is not clear whether PLC has an association with physical function in people with TTA.
Specific aim: To determine if there is a correlation between PLC (self-report) and physical function, as measured by the four-square step test (FSST), in people with unilateral TTA.
Research hypothesis: There is a strong positive association between PLC and physical function in people with unilateral TTA.
Conditions
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Keywords
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
NONE
Study Groups
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Control Group
Participants will receive usual and customary post-amputation treatment
No interventions assigned to this group
Exercise Group
Participants will be trained for 3 consecutive weeks to perform the targeted exercise of their phantom limb in addition to receiving usual and customary post-amputation treatment.
Targeted phantom limb motor execution (exercise)
The targeted phantom motor execution is a specific training program for people with TTA that has been designed to improve the muscles' strength, coordination, and flexibility at the amputated and contralateral intact sides. Such training consists of repeated short-term, short rest interval, and moderate-intensity exercises (Schoenfeld 2010, Krutki, Mrowczynski et al. 2017). Targeted phantom motor execution can improve the body image considering its induced muscular impacts. People with TTA will be trained to follow specific movements of their foot-ankle complexes simultaneously, in order to increase PLA, as well as induce muscular morphologic and brain neuroplastic changes (Moseley and Brugger 2009).
Interventions
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Targeted phantom limb motor execution (exercise)
The targeted phantom motor execution is a specific training program for people with TTA that has been designed to improve the muscles' strength, coordination, and flexibility at the amputated and contralateral intact sides. Such training consists of repeated short-term, short rest interval, and moderate-intensity exercises (Schoenfeld 2010, Krutki, Mrowczynski et al. 2017). Targeted phantom motor execution can improve the body image considering its induced muscular impacts. People with TTA will be trained to follow specific movements of their foot-ankle complexes simultaneously, in order to increase PLA, as well as induce muscular morphologic and brain neuroplastic changes (Moseley and Brugger 2009).
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
2. Amputation surgery in Manitoba
3. Amputation surgery at least 6 months ago
4. Unilateral TTA
5. Existence of mature and wound-free residual limb
6. Experience of walking with a prosthesis for at least five months
7. Having contralateral healthy foot with no wounds, ulcers, abrasions, or loss of toes
8. Ability to walk independently for two minutes with/without an assistive device
9. Presence of PLA
10. Ability to read, write, and understand instructions and questionnaires in English
11. Have the dexterity to use a computer, tablet, or smartphone and the ability to communicate through Zoom application.
Exclusion Criteria
2. Addiction to alcohol or drug
3. Any medical condition that might conceivably alter how a person perceives the body or their ability to execute movements
4. Inability to move the intact limb at the foot and ankle joints
5. Fluctuating doses of pain suppressing medications in the previous month
6. Receiving formal training on exercising phantom limb
7. Existence of severe pain that limits activity
8. Undergoing prosthetic adjustments (e.g. in socket fit, components, alignment) in the past five months or plan to have prosthetic adjustments over the study period
18 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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University of Manitoba
OTHER
University of Saskatchewan
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Audrey Zucker-Levin
Professor
Principal Investigators
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Audrey Zucker-Levin, Professor
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University of Saskatchewan
Locations
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Winnipeg Prosthetics and Orthotics (WinPO) Clinic
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Countries
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References
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Bekrater-Bodmann R, Reinhard I, Diers M, Fuchs X, Flor H. Relationship of prosthesis ownership and phantom limb pain: results of a survey in 2383 limb amputees. Pain. 2021 Feb 1;162(2):630-640. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002063.
Brodie EE, Whyte A, Niven CA. Analgesia through the looking-glass? A randomized controlled trial investigating the effect of viewing a 'virtual' limb upon phantom limb pain, sensation and movement. Eur J Pain. 2007 May;11(4):428-36. doi: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2006.06.002. Epub 2006 Jul 20.
Dijkstra PU, Geertzen JH, Stewart R, van der Schans CP. Phantom pain and risk factors: a multivariate analysis. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2002 Dec;24(6):578-85. doi: 10.1016/s0885-3924(02)00538-9.
Flor H, Nikolajsen L, Staehelin Jensen T. Phantom limb pain: a case of maladaptive CNS plasticity? Nat Rev Neurosci. 2006 Nov;7(11):873-81. doi: 10.1038/nrn1991.
Geertzen JHB, van der Schans SM, Jutte PC, Kraeima J, Otten E, Dekker R. Myodesis or myoplasty in trans-femoral amputations. What is the best option? An explorative study. Med Hypotheses. 2019 Mar;124:7-12. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.01.008. Epub 2019 Jan 16. No abstract available.
Hunter JP, Katz J, Davis KD. The effect of tactile and visual sensory inputs on phantom limb awareness. Brain. 2003 Mar;126(Pt 3):579-89. doi: 10.1093/brain/awg054.
Hunter JP, Katz J, Davis KD. Stability of phantom limb phenomena after upper limb amputation: a longitudinal study. Neuroscience. 2008 Oct 28;156(4):939-49. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.07.053. Epub 2008 Aug 3.
Imam B, Miller WC, Finlayson HC, Eng JJ, Jarus T. Incidence of lower limb amputation in Canada. Can J Public Health. 2017 Nov 9;108(4):e374-e380. doi: 10.17269/cjph.108.6093.
Kilteni K, Groten R, Slater M. The Sense of Embodiment in Virtual Reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments. 2012; 21(4): 373-387.
Krutki P, Mrowczynski W, Baczyk M, Lochynski D, Celichowski J. Adaptations of motoneuron properties after weight-lifting training in rats. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2017 Sep 1;123(3):664-673. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00121.2017. Epub 2017 Jun 8.
Marshall HM, Jensen MP, Ehde DM, Campbell KM. Pain site and impairment in individuals with amputation pain. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2002 Aug;83(8):1116-9. doi: 10.1053/apmr.2002.33121.
Matjacic Z, Burger H. Dynamic balance training during standing in people with trans-tibial amputation: a pilot study. Prosthet Orthot Int. 2003 Dec;27(3):214-20. doi: 10.1080/03093640308726684.
Montoya P, Larbig W, Grulke N, Flor H, Taub E, Birbaumer N. The relationship of phantom limb pain to other phantom limb phenomena in upper extremity amputees. Pain. 1997 Aug;72(1-2):87-93. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3959(97)00004-3.
Moseley GL, Brugger P. Interdependence of movement and anatomy persists when amputees learn a physiologically impossible movement of their phantom limb. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Nov 3;106(44):18798-802. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0907151106. Epub 2009 Oct 26.
Ortiz-Catalan M, Guethmundsdottir RA, Kristoffersen MB, Zepeda-Echavarria A, Caine-Winterberger K, Kulbacka-Ortiz K, Widehammar C, Eriksson K, Stockselius A, Ragno C, Pihlar Z, Burger H, Hermansson L. Phantom motor execution facilitated by machine learning and augmented reality as treatment for phantom limb pain: a single group, clinical trial in patients with chronic intractable phantom limb pain. Lancet. 2016 Dec 10;388(10062):2885-2894. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31598-7. Epub 2016 Dec 2.
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Provided Documents
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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan
Other Identifiers
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Bio 2855
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id