Actively Recruiting
Stroke Motor Recovery for the Hand and Fingers
Led by University of Toronto · Updated on 2026-05-08
40
Participants Needed
5
Research Sites
86 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
U
University of Toronto
Lead Sponsor
H
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare two rehabilitation methods to improve finger movements in people who have had a stroke. The main question it aims to answer is which of these two training methods leads to the most improvement: 1. Teaching people to reach their movement goals using any strategies they like. 2. Teaching people to improve their movement technique and avoid compensatory strategies. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. The second goal is to find out who might benefit more from each method. Some people with stroke may rely on compensatory strategies due to severe impairment, while others with milder strokes might benefit more from techniques that enhance movement quality. The third goal is to take pictures of the brain to see how it changes with each method. This will help researchers understand how the brain adapts after a stroke and could lead to treatments that target the brain directly. Participants will: 1. Visit the lab for clinical and research assessments on weeks 1, 4, 5, and 15. 2. Complete 10 days of piano training. 3. Undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans twice, once in week 1 and once in week 4.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Stroke Motor Recovery for the Hand and Fingers
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Over 18 years of age
- Diagnosis of first-time unilateral ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
- Stroke occurred more than 6 months and less than 2 years ago
- Able to perform active finger movements (Chedoke-McMaster Hand Impairment Stage �3 3)
You will not qualify if you...
- History of developmental, neurological, or major psychiatric disorders
- Cognitive deficits (Montreal Cognitive Assessment score less than 23/30)
- Apraxia (below 2 standard deviations on the Waterloo Apraxia test)
- Neglect (Sunnybrook Neglect Assessment score greater than 40/100)
- Cerebellar stroke
- Musculoskeletal injury affecting motor performance
- Inability to sit in a chair and perform exercises for sustained periods
- Contraindications to MRI
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 5 locations
1
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 2W6
Actively Recruiting
2
Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital
Laval, Quebec, Canada, H7V 1R2
Actively Recruiting
3
University Institute for Physical Impairment Rehabilitation of Montreal (IURDPM)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3S 2J4
Actively Recruiting
4
Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay Rehabilitation Center
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4B 1T3
Actively Recruiting
5
Jewish General Hopsital
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H7V 1R2
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
J
Joyce L Chen, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
TRIPLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Number of Arms
2
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