Tracking Balance and Walking Recovery After Stroke

NCT ID: NCT06806761

Last Updated: 2025-02-27

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

120 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-01-07

Study Completion Date

2028-12-09

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

This study aims to understand how balance and walking abilities recover after a stroke, using innovative tools like an interactive assessment game. By observing patients over time, the investigators seek to identify recovery patterns that can improve rehabilitation strategies tailored to individual needs.

Interacting with a game designed to assess balance and movement, participants will perform tasks involving sitting balance, standing balance, and gait initiation. The game measures aspects like reaction time, movement accuracy, and postural control, providing detailed insights into recovery progress. These data will validate prediction models to support personalized care.

The study is non-invasive, does not interfere with usual care, and prioritizes patient safety. The investigators' ultimate goal is to enhance the understanding of recovery, leading to better care and improved quality of life for stroke survivors.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

During this longitudinal observational study, patients following a supratentorial stroke will be included as soon as possible after admission, provided they meet the inclusion criteria. Assessments will take place at fixed time points relative to stroke onset: baseline (as soon as possible after admission) and at 3, 5, 8, 12, and 24 weeks post-stroke (or until discharge). The study aims to investigate recovery patterns in balance and walking (gait initiation) abilities, contributing to the validation of predictive models that support personalized rehabilitation strategies.

At each time point, participants will perform standardized assessments targeting sitting balance, standing balance, and gait initiation. These assessments combine clinical scales (e.g., Fugl-Meyer Assessment for the lower limb, Berg Balance Scale, Functional Ambulation Categories) and biomechanical measurements collected using electromyography (EMG) sensors, inertial measurement units (IMUs), force plates, and a Kinect camera. EMG will provide detailed insights into muscle activation patterns, while IMUs (positioned on the sternum, pelvis, and non-paretic wrist) will measure acceleration and gyroscopic data to evaluate trunk movement and postural control. Force plates will provide data on weight distribution and stability, whereas the Kinect camera will capture posture and reaching accuracy data. An interactive assessment game will be used to evaluate task performance under various conditions, including anticipatory tasks (where the target location is known), reactive tasks (requiring quick adjustments to unpredictable targets), and cognitive-motor dual-task scenarios (involving decision-making under time pressure). Data from these assessments will provide detailed insights into recovery processes.

In addition to in-lab assessments, the study will also evaluate the relationship between laboratory-based measures and real-world functional activity. Participants will wear an activity monitor for three days following the longitudinal assessment sessions to measure real-world activity, including time spent sitting, standing, and walking. This approach allows the investigators to explore how improvements observed in the lab translate into functional recovery in daily life.

By combining clinical, biomechanical, and real-world data, the study seeks to address gaps in stroke recovery research, particularly the factors influencing recovery trajectories and how rehabilitation can be optimized. The findings are expected to enhance understanding of recovery patterns, inform individualized rehabilitation plans, and ultimately improve quality of life for stroke survivors.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Stroke

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Patients in the first 6 months after stroke

Participants in this study will be adults aged 18 years or older, following a supratentorial stroke, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Inclusion will occur as soon as possible after hospital admission. Participants must be capable of providing informed consent, which may be written, verbal, or provided by proxy if necessary.

Exclusion criteria include the presence of other neurological or orthopedic disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) that impair motor function, severe complicating comorbidities imposing health risks (e.g., cardiovascular instability), significant deficits in communication, memory, or understanding (defined by a score of less than 21 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)), and insufficient knowledge of Dutch, French, German, or English.

Longitudinal prospective cohort study

Intervention Type OTHER

Description: Patients after stroke who meet the in- and exclusion criteria will be examined up to 6 times during the first 6 months after their stroke.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Longitudinal prospective cohort study

Description: Patients after stroke who meet the in- and exclusion criteria will be examined up to 6 times during the first 6 months after their stroke.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Adult (≥ 18 years)
* Diagnosis of supratentorial stroke (as defined by the WHO)
* Able to provide written or verbal informed consent (written, verbal or by proxy)

Exclusion Criteria

* Other neurological/orthopedic disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) leading to impairments in motor function.
* Severe complicating comorbidities imposing health risks (e.g., cardiovascular instability)
* Severe deficits in communication, memory or understanding (Montreal Cognitive Assessment test (MoCA) \< 21); and
* Insufficient knowledge of Dutch, French or English
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Revalidatieziekenhuis InkendaaI

NETWORK

Sponsor Role collaborator

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Eva Swinnen

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Inkendaal rehabilitation hospital

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Brussels Capital, Belgium

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Belgium

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Eva Swinnen

Role: CONTACT

+32 (0)2 477 44 20

Marc Degelaen

Role: CONTACT

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Marc Degelaen

Role: primary

+32 (0)2 531 51 11

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

101136244_FOSTER

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.