Stroke Motor Recovery for the Hand and Fingers

ConditionStroke
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age19-80
SponsorUniversity of Toronto

About this trial

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.

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

Over 18 years of age

Diagnosis of first time unilateral ischemic or hemorrhagic

Stroke occurrence: > 6 months and < 2 years

Able to perform active finger movements (Chedoke-McMaster (CM) Impairment Inventory of the Hand, Stage ≥ 3)

Disqualifiers

History of developmental, neurological, or major psychiatric disorders

Cognitive deficits (< 23/30 Montreal Cognitive Assessment)

Apraxia (<2SD mean Waterloo Apraxia test)

Neglect (> 40/100, Sunnybrook Neglect Assessment Procedure)

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Quality Training
  • Goal Training

Treatment groups

40 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups

Sponsors and collaborators

University of Toronto

Lead sponsor

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

Collaborator

McGill University

Collaborator