Actively Recruiting
Alternative Therapies for Improving Physical Function in Individuals With Stroke
Led by University of Illinois at Chicago · Updated on 2025-09-15
120
Participants Needed
2
Research Sites
316 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Neurological impairment is a devastating disease for patients and their families and a leading cause of adult disability. Traditional rehabilitative therapies can help regain motor function and ameliorate disability. However, health care reimbursed rehabilitation is usually provided for up to 6 months post stroke (3 months in form of inpatient therapy and 3 months in outpatient therapy). There are increasing community and other facilities offering rehabilitation in form of conventional, recreational and alternative (Yoga, Tai-chi) therapy. However, implementation of these conventional therapy techniques in individuals with neurological disorder impairments is tedious, resource-intensive, and costly, often requiring transportation of patients to specialized facilities. Based on recent evidence suggesting significant benefits of repetitive, task-orientated training, investigators propose to evaluate the feasibility of an alternative dance and gaming based virtual dance and gaming based therapy to improve overall physical function of community-dwelling individuals with neurological impairments, compared to conventional therapeutic rehabilitation. This pilot study aims to systematically obtain pilot data on compliance and efficacy as well as performing power analysis and sample size calculation for developing it into a randomized controlled trial for extramural funding purposes. The objective of the study is to determine the safety, feasibility, compliance and efficacy of an alternative dance and gaming-based virtual gaming therapy to improve overall physical function of community-dwelling individuals with neurologically impairment and compare it to that of conventional rehabilitation and also to determine the gains in community participation and integration with longer-term compliance to the dance and gaming -based intervention.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Alternative Therapies for Improving Physical Function in Individuals With Stroke
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Age between 18 and 90 years
- Able to follow instructions in English
- History of neurological impairment (Stroke, Parkinson's disease, or Multiple Sclerosis) for at least 6 months confirmed by physician
- Able to stand and walk with or without assistive device or braces
- Cognitive ability to actively participate (Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of 26 or higher)
- Stroke patients must have upper extremity function with minimum scores on specific motor tests
- Parkinson's disease patients must have stable medication, be in stage I or II, and have no sudden fluctuations
- Multiple Sclerosis patients must not have severe disability (EDSS score 4.5 or less)
You will not qualify if you...
- Significant cognitive or communication impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment score below 26 or other specified tests)
- Severe medical illness including unhealed sores, infections, thromboembolic disease, contractures, fractures, peripheral nerve injury, cardiovascular or pulmonary complications, pacemakers, metabolic or renal dysfunction, uncontrolled seizures
- Recent acute cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, or systemic diagnosis within 6 months, recent surgery within 6 months, or hospitalization within 3 months
- Unavailable for 12 weeks of participation
- Current participation in other treatments or research studies
- Pregnancy
- Uncontrolled pain over 3/10
- Shortness of breath
- Uncontrolled hypertension (SBP > 165 mmHg or DBP > 110 mmHg at rest)
- Resting heart rate above 85% of age-predicted maximum
- Oxygen saturation below 95% at rest
- Severe cardiac disease (NYHA classification II-IV)
- For laboratory slip test exclusion: bone density T score below -2, weight over 250 lbs or BMI over 35, inability to walk 8 meters twice with rest, inability to stand for at least 5 minutes due to blood pressure drop
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 2 locations
1
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612
Actively Recruiting
2
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612
Suspended
Research Team
S
savitha subramaniam, PhD
CONTACT
T
Tanvi Bhatt, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NA
Model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
1
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