Recruiting

EMG-Controlled Game

Sponsor:

VA Office of Research and Development

Code:

NCT05628324

Conditions

Stroke

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

practice muscle activation patterns

task practice

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this study is to develop and test if upper limb task practice and muscle activity training improve upper limb function in stroke survivors. Participants will be asked to come to the laboratory 23 times (approximately 3 times a week) over 2.5 months to receive upper limb task practice, muscle activity training, and/or upper extremity functional assessments.

Conditions

Stroke

Study ID

NCT05628324

Start date

Jul 31, 2024

Status verified date

Aug, 2025

Completion date

Mar 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Mar 31, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18+ years old
  • Stroke more than 6 months ago
  • Moderate unilateral upper limb impairment
  • Cognitive ability to participate in the study procedure
  • Ability to see the full computer screen

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Concurrent upper limb rehabilitation
  • Inability to voluntarily contract muscles of at least 2 upper limb muscle groups, prohibiting participation in training
  • Change in spasticity medication or botulinum toxin injection in the upper limb within 3 months prior to or during enrollment
  • Total sensory loss
  • Comorbidity (e.g., orthopaedic or premorbid neurologic condition) that limit upper limb movement and/or participation in the intervention
  • Language barrier or cognitive impairment that precludes providing consent

Study Design

Enrollment

62 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: EMG + task training

Train with EMG-controlled games and functional task practice

active comparator: task training

Train with functional task practice

Interventions

practice muscle activation patterns

practice upper limb muscle activation patterns using EMG-controlled games

task practice

practice functional upper limb tasks

Primary outcome measure

  • Wolf Motor Function Test [ Time Frame: Within 1 week from intervention completion ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Sarah A Jackson, BA MA

(843) 789-6700sarah.jackson@va.gov

Locations

Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC

Recruiting

Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29401-5703

Contacts

Sarah A Jackson, BA MA

843-789-6700sarah.jackson@va.gov

Principal Investigator:

Na Jin Seo, PhD MS BS

More Information

Sponsor

VA Office of Research and Development

Last update posted

Aug 26, 2025

Last verified

Aug, 2025

Keywords

  • upper limb
  • rehabilitation
  • EMG muscle activation pattern
  • serious game
  • virtual reality
  • biofeedback

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-20. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by VA Office of Research and Development on 2025-08-26.