The Effects of a Dynamic Arm Support in Daily Life

NCT ID: NCT07121075

Last Updated: 2025-08-13

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

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

50 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-12-02

Study Completion Date

2026-08-31

Brief Summary

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The goal of this mixed method study is to learn about how a dynamic arm support device (DAS) helps people with everyday activities. The study focuses on people with neuro(-muscular) conditions, age 16 and older. The research questions that are formulated, are:

* How does a person experience their daily activities, with and without a DAS?
* What are the contextual (external and personal) factors that influence the use of a DAS?

Participants will take part in three testing sessions. In each session, they must complete a few questionnaires and participate in an interview. The first time, without DAS. In the second and third session, they will be using their DAS (resp. 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months). The data collection will be executed by phone, digital questionnaires and/or paper.

Detailed Description

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Methodology:

The target group consist of people:

* with neurological of (neuro)muscular diseases
* at the age of 16 years or older
* who are using a dynamic arm support for at least one activity of daily life. This dynamic arm support is developed by Focal Meditech BV (balancer, Flowing, Dowing, Gowing 2 or Top Help)

Study design:

A convergent parallel mixed method study, consisting of a quantitative and a qualitative component will be executed.

Quantitative data will be collected trough various questionnaires and measurements, during three testing sessions. The goal is to include 50 participants (sample size). To make a comparison between daily life with and without a dynamic arm support, paired t-tests or the Wilcoxon signed-rank test will be performed. All tests are two-tailed, with the significance level set at p \< 0.05 and a Bonferonni correction. SPSS, version 27.0, will be used for this data analysis.

Qualitative data will be collected trough in-depth interviews. Participant will be recruited through purposive sampling. The number of included participants will be determined by data saturation. Next, data-analysis will be carried out according to a phenomenological hermeneutical method. Analysis will be conducted in NVivo V.12.

Conditions

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Neuromuscular Disease Neuromuscular Disability Assistive Technology Activities of Daily Living Occupational Therapy Upper Limb

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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People with neurological of (neuro)muscular diseases with a dynamic arm support

The cohort consist of individuals who apply for a dynamic arm support at Focal Meditech.

Dynamic arm support

Intervention Type DEVICE

The participant will receive a new dynamic arm support.

Interventions

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Dynamic arm support

The participant will receive a new dynamic arm support.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age: 16 and oler
* Being able to understand and comprehend test instructions
* Using a DAS from Focal Meditech (Balancer, Flowing, Dowing, Gowing 2 or Top Help)

Exclusion Criteria

/
Minimum Eligible Age

16 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Focal Meditech BV

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Hasselt University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Annemie Spooren

Professor Doctor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Joke Raats, Doctor

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

UHasselt

Locations

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Focal Meditech BV (their clients in their home situation)

Tilburg, , Netherlands

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Netherlands

Central Contacts

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Annemie Spooren, Professor Doctor

Role: CONTACT

+3211 26 81 11 ext. +32

Facility Contacts

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Anoek Geers

Role: primary

+31 13 533 3103 ext. +31

References

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Shank TM, Wee J, Ty J, Rahman T. Quantitative measures with WREX usage. IEEE Int Conf Rehabil Robot. 2017 Jul;2017:1375-1380. doi: 10.1109/ICORR.2017.8009440.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28814012 (View on PubMed)

Cruz A, Callaway L, Randall M, Ryan M. Mobile arm supports in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a pilot study of user experience and outcomes. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2021 Nov;16(8):880-889. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2020.1749892. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32293211 (View on PubMed)

Coscia M, Cheung VC, Tropea P, Koenig A, Monaco V, Bennis C, Micera S, Bonato P. The effect of arm weight support on upper limb muscle synergies during reaching movements. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2014 Mar 4;11:22. doi: 10.1186/1743-0003-11-22.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24594139 (View on PubMed)

Prange GB, Jannink MJ, Stienen AH, van der Kooij H, Ijzerman MJ, Hermens HJ. Influence of gravity compensation on muscle activation patterns during different temporal phases of arm movements of stroke patients. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2009 Jun;23(5):478-85. doi: 10.1177/1545968308328720. Epub 2009 Feb 3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19190089 (View on PubMed)

van der Heide L, de Witte L. The perceived functional benefit of dynamic arm supports in daily life. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2016;53(6):1139-1150. doi: 10.1682/JRRD.2015.06.0099.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28355038 (View on PubMed)

Collins, K. M. (2010). Advanced sampling designs in mixed research. Sage handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research, 353-377. SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506335193

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Essers JMN, Murgia A, Peters AA, Janssen MMHP, Meijer K. Recommendations for studies on dynamic arm support devices in people with neuromuscular disorders: a scoping review with expert-based discussion. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2022 Jul;17(5):487-500. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2020.1806937. Epub 2020 Sep 26.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32981390 (View on PubMed)

Essers J, Murgia A, Peters A, Meijer K. Daily Life Benefits and Usage Characteristics of Dynamic Arm Supports in Subjects with Neuromuscular Disorders. Sensors (Basel). 2020 Aug 28;20(17):4864. doi: 10.3390/s20174864.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32872138 (View on PubMed)

Lamers I, Cattaneo D, Chen CC, Bertoni R, Van Wijmeersch B, Feys P. Associations of upper limb disability measures on different levels of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in people with multiple sclerosis. Phys Ther. 2015 Jan;95(1):65-75. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20130588. Epub 2014 Sep 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25190063 (View on PubMed)

Michielsen ME, Selles RW, Stam HJ, Ribbers GM, Bussmann JB. Quantifying nonuse in chronic stroke patients: a study into paretic, nonparetic, and bimanual upper-limb use in daily life. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2012 Nov;93(11):1975-81. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2012.03.016. Epub 2012 Mar 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22465403 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

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https://www.focalmeditech.nl/

website of the different types of dynamic arm supports that are used in this study

Other Identifiers

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B1152024000010

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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