Actively Recruiting
The Effect of Virtual Hand Movements on Functional Tremor - a Pilot Study
Led by Medical University of Graz ยท Updated on 2025-09-29
48
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
12 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are evaluating the effects of virtual reality (VR) motor tasks on individuals with functional movement disorders, specifically focusing on functional tremor and essential tremor. The study aims to understand how different visual representations of virtual hand movements influence hand movement performance, tremor severity, and the subjective experience of tremor. The study includes three groups: patients with functional tremor, patients with essential tremor, and healthy control participants. Participants perform various VR motor tasks involving virtual hands displayed in different modes. Tasks include touching fields in a 3x3 matrix and placing a virtual apple into a virtual box using the hand with weaker tremor, with some tasks involving visible or hidden resting hands. The study involves one or two visits: the first visit includes neurological examinations and tremor severity assessments for patients with tremor, while the second visit involves VR tasks, questionnaires, and simultaneous EEG and surface-EMG recordings, lasting approximately 2.5 hours. During the study, participants undergo clinical evaluations using several tremor rating scales and complete questionnaires assessing symptoms, technology use, and VR presence. Researchers monitor task performance, tremor duration, brain electrical activity, and subjective tremor severity at multiple points during the VR sessions. Safety and acceptance of VR are also evaluated. The total participation time varies from a single session for healthy controls to up to two sessions for tremor patients, with assessments lasting up to 2.5 hours.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Virtual Reality in Functional Movement Disorder
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Diagnosis of functional tremor, essential tremor, or healthy control person
- For patients with functional or essential tremor: presence of constant or intermittent tremor during neurological examination
You will not qualify if you...
- Unclear tremor syndrome
- Essential tremor plus (ET plus)
- Conditions interfering with EEG diagnostics such as skin conditions, infections, or wounds
- Reflex epilepsy
- Cervical degeneration or chronic pain syndrome of the cervical spine
- Severe somatic illness
- Previous cerebral or head surgery
- Implanted pacemaker or deep brain stimulation device
- Persons unable to provide consent
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Your Study Journey
Duration - Up to 1 day
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person) for neurological examination and tremor severity assessment for patients with functional tremor or essential tremor
Duration - Approximately 2.5 hours
Participants perform motor tasks in a virtual reality environment to assess hand movement performance, tremor, and subjective perception of tremor.
1 visit (in-person) involving questionnaires, EEG and surface-EMG recordings, and multiple VR tasks
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Medical University of Graz, Department of Neurology
Graz, Austria, 8010
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
D
Daniela Kern, MD
P
Petra Schwingenschuh, MD
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
SINGLE
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Number of Arms
3
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