Overground Virtual Reality (VR) Gait Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

NCT ID: NCT07038889

Last Updated: 2025-12-17

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

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-01-01

Study Completion Date

2027-06-30

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to evaluate a new virtual reality (VR)-based rehabilitation program designed to help individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) improve their walking abilities in real-world settings. By comparing immersive VR-assisted overground gait therapy to contemporary non-immersive, treadmill-based VR therapy (i.e., C-Mill), the investigators aim to determine its effectiveness in enhancing mobility and quality of life for TBI patients.

Detailed Description

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After obtaining consent and screening, eligible participants are randomized to the treatment or control groups.

First, all participants are issued a wearable tracker to gauge baseline activity for at least 5 days.

During the intervention phase, participants undergo 12 treatment sessions, 2x a week for 6 weeks.

Assessments are conducted at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 1-month followup.

Conditions

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Traumatic Brain Injury Stroke Gait Training

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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VR-Assisted Overground Gait Therapy

Participants in the treatment group (VG-AOGT) will engage in gait training within a newly developed immersive virtual reality (VR) environment. This setup features self-propelled overground walking influenced by three different virtual environments designed to mimic real-world conditions. The immersive technology used is HTC VIVE Pro 2, enabling participants to practice walking in real-world environments and gait tasks.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Walk-over-Ground

Intervention Type DEVICE

This intervention utilizes the HTC VIVE Pro 2 system for a realistic, fully immersive VR-assisted overground gait therapy. The immersive VR environment is designed to mimic real-world scenarios and challenges, enhancing the rehabilitation process by engaging patients in naturalistic gait activities.

Conventional Treadmill-Based VR Gait Therapy

Participants in the control group (VR-CTGT) will engage in gait training using C-Mill VR+ technology, which involves treadmill-assisted walking on a treadmill while interacting with less immersive virtual scenarios presented on screens.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

C-Mill VR+ by Motek

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants perform treadmill-assisted walking while interacting with non-immersive, game-like environments displayed on screens attached to the treadmill.

Interventions

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Walk-over-Ground

This intervention utilizes the HTC VIVE Pro 2 system for a realistic, fully immersive VR-assisted overground gait therapy. The immersive VR environment is designed to mimic real-world scenarios and challenges, enhancing the rehabilitation process by engaging patients in naturalistic gait activities.

Intervention Type DEVICE

C-Mill VR+ by Motek

Participants perform treadmill-assisted walking while interacting with non-immersive, game-like environments displayed on screens attached to the treadmill.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Diagnosis: A confirmed diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke, confirmed by the referring neurologist.
* Cognitive Function: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score greater than 24, indicating sufficient cognitive function to participate in the study.
* Exercise Clearance: Approval from a neurologist for participation in exercise-based interventions.
* Rehabilitation Need: Demonstrates a need for functional rehabilitation.
* Recent Therapy: Participants should not have received physical therapy (PT) within the last month.
* Consent: Must be able to provide informed consent for themselves.

Exclusion Criteria

* Participants with unstable medication regimens that could interfere with their participation in the study.
* Any comorbidity that could interfere with walking or gait training.
* Participation in VR-assisted gait training within the last 6 months.
* Intolerance to virtual reality environments or motion simulation.
* Severe cognitive, visual, or hearing impairments where the participant cannot follow the therapist's instructions.
* More than 135 kg total body weight.
* More than 2.00 meters in body height.
* Presence of open skin lesions or bandages in areas that would come into contact with the harness.
* Functional Ambulation Category (FAC): Participants with an FAC score of less than 2 indicate they require physical support from more than one person to walk.

Clarification:

\- The diagnosis of TBI or stroke can be confirmed by their neurologist or a physical therapist referring to the patient. If a physical therapist makes the referral, the diagnosis must still be officially confirmed by a neurologist to ensure it meets the study's medical criteria.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Indiana University Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Indiana University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Hee-Tae Jung

Assistant Professor, Health Informatics

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Hee-Tae Jung, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Indiana University, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering

Peter Altenburger, Ph.D., PT

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Indiana University, School of Health & Human Sciences; Indiana University Health, Center for Advanced Neurorehabilitation

Locations

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Indiana University Health, Neurorehabilitation & Robotics

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Peter Altenburger, Ph.D., PT

Role: CONTACT

317-278-0703

Hee-Tae Jung, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

317-278-1285

Facility Contacts

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Peter Altenburger, Ph.D., PT

Role: primary

317-278-0703

Kathryn Gyves, PT, DPT, NCS, CSRS, AVPT, CBIS

Role: backup

317-963-7050

Other Identifiers

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25423

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id