Finger Movement Training After Stroke

Human development as a species has been strongly associated with the ability to dexterously manipulate objects and tools. Unfortunately, current therapy efforts typically fail to restore fine manual control after stroke. The goal of this study is to evaluate a new intervention that would combine targeted electrical stimulation of selected nerves with use a soft, pneumatically actuated hand exoskeleton to enhance repetitive practice of independent movements of the fingers and thumb in order to improve rehabilitation of hand function after stroke. The investigators will recruit stroke survivors in the subacute phase of recovery (2-18 months post-stroke). These participants will be involved in a 5-week intervention involving 15 training sessions. During these sessions, participants will train independent movement of the digits of the paretic hand. Evaluation of motor control of the paretic hand will occur prior to initiation of training, at the midpoint of the training period, after completion of training, and one month later.

NCT Number	NCT05621980
Lead Sponsor	North Carolina State University Collaborators: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Conditions	Stroke
Enrollment	36 participants
Start Date	2023-09-05
Primary Completion	2025-04 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-08 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2024-11-14