Action Observation as a Rehabilitation Intervention for Stroke

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Stroke

In brief

One way to help a stroke survivor learn how to use their arm and hand again is to have them watch and replicate "normal" arm and hand movements. This type of intervention is called action observation (AO) and has emerged as a potentially powerful therapeutic tool to improve stroke rehabilitation for the weakened arm and hand. AO involves the patient's visual observation of video recorded intact body movements with the intent to perform the same task with their weakened arm and hand. There is behavioral evidence in stroke survivors that movement skills usually gained through physical practice can also be acquired through observation of the skill alone. In preliminary research performed in Dr. Lewis Wheaton's lab at Georgia Tech, AO has been successfully implemented for persons with arm and hand amputations learning how to use their prostheses. AO training in patients with amputations revealed that their movement is improved when they focus their eye gaze on specific aspects of the movement in the video that may maximally benefit the patient. It is unknown if these eye gaze patterns may serve as the mechanism behind AO and differ among those with mild or moderate movement impairments due to stroke. In this study, the investigators seek to identify if experience with AO in stroke survivors with varying levels of impairment has a similar emergence of eye gaze patterns found in people with amputations. The investigators hypothesize that AO augments visuomotor strategies to help support improved movement and enhance rehabilitation strategies in stroke survivors with mild and moderate impairments. The goal of this work is to utilize eye gaze tracking approaches to understand this phenomenon. In addition, the investigators will identify the feasibility of implementing and assessing AO on eye gaze in stroke survivors.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT05001958

Run by

Georgia State University

People needed

20

Starts

2021-10-01

Expected to finish

2022-12-31

Last updated by the study team

2023-06-01

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• stroke experienced at 18 years of age or older
• not undergoing any physical rehabilitation during the time enrolled in this study
• mild to moderate impairments in the more affected arm and hand (i.e., movement and coordination scores on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment between 20 and 55)
• no cognitive impairments (mini-mental state examination ≥ 24/30)
• normal or corrected vision (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale = 0)

You may not qualify if…

• any uncorrected impairment to the visual field, such as spatial neglect or inattention (i.e., decreased awareness/perception of objects or people in a section of the visual field) (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale > 1)
• inability to communicate and participate effectively for assessments and intervention sessions (mini-mental state examination and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) upper arm and hand movement impairment that is severe (Fugl-Meyer Assessment < 20) or non-existent (Fugl-Meyer Assessment > 55)

Where it is running

• Georgia Tech — Atlanta, Arkansas, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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