NCT03989063

Brief Summary

Inadequate rehabilitation training after amputation can result in poor patient outcomes, injuries, and wasted healthcare resources. This is a serious public health problem due to an aging population and rising prevalence of diabetes (main cause of amputation in the U.S.). In this study, the investigators will examine the effects of external vs. internal attentional focus instruction on learning of a balance task in individuals with existing amputation and those at risk of amputation (older adults with diabetes). With the proposed research, the investigators aim to expand the understanding of motor learning in individuals with and at risk of lower limb loss to provide knowledge that will lead to more effective and efficient rehabilitation.

Trial Health

43
At Risk

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Enrollment
55

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Oct 2019

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
unknown

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

June 4, 2019

Completed
14 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

June 18, 2019

Completed
4 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

October 1, 2019

Completed
4.3 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 31, 2023

Completed
6 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

June 30, 2024

Completed
Last Updated

July 28, 2022

Status Verified

July 1, 2022

Enrollment Period

4.3 years

First QC Date

June 4, 2019

Last Update Submit

July 27, 2022

Conditions

Keywords

Motor LearningAttentional FocusLimb LossDiabetesBalance

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

  • Change in balance performance

    During each 30-second balance practice trial, time in balance which is defined as when the balance platform is within 5 degrees from horizontal will be measured in seconds. A longer time in balance (up to 30 seconds) indicates better balance performance.

    Throughout the training period (2 days, up to 40 trials) and during the post-training tests

  • Change in balance performance

    During each balance practice trial, average deviation of balance platform angle from horizontal will be measured in degrees. Smaller deviation from horizontal indicates better balance performance.

    Throughout the balance training period (2 days, up to 40 trials) and during the post-training tests

Secondary Outcomes (4)

  • Change in fall recovery performance

    Before and after balance training. The after training assessment will be conducted 2-10 days after the conclusion of the balance training.

  • Change in fall recovery performance

    Before and after the 2-day balance training. The after training assessment will be conducted 2-10 days after the conclusion of the balance training.

  • Change in fall recovery performance

    Before and after the 2-day balance training. The after training assessment will be conducted 2-10 days after the conclusion of the balance training.

  • Change in patient's self-reported outcomes

    Throughout the balance training period (2 days, assessed every 5 practice trials).

Study Arms (4)

Amputees (External Focus)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive the external focus instruction on where to direct their attention while training to perform the balance task. During training, the assigned instruction will be reinforced at the beginning and after every 5 practice trials.

Behavioral: Instructions to perform a motor task (external vs. internal focus instructions)

Amputees (Internal Focus)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in this group will receive the internal focus instruction on where to direct their attention while training to perform the balance task. During training, the assigned instruction will be reinforced at the beginning and after every 5 practice trials.

Behavioral: Instructions to perform a motor task (external vs. internal focus instructions)

Diabetes (External Focus)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive the external focus instruction on where to direct their attention while training to perform the balance task. During training, the assigned instruction will be reinforced at the beginning and after every 5 practice trials.

Behavioral: Instructions to perform a motor task (external vs. internal focus instructions)

Diabetes (Internal Focus)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in this group will receive the internal focus instruction on where to direct their attention while training to perform the balance task. During training, the assigned instruction will be reinforced at the beginning and after every 5 practice trials.

Behavioral: Instructions to perform a motor task (external vs. internal focus instructions)

Interventions

During the balance task, the participants will receive instructions to focus on external targets (external focus group) vs. movement of the body (internal focus group).

Amputees (External Focus)Amputees (Internal Focus)Diabetes (External Focus)Diabetes (Internal Focus)

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Have unilateral transtibial or transfemoral amputation,
  • Age \>18 years,
  • Are fitted with a walking prosthesis and use it regularly and proficiently (K-level of 2 or above, further defined as scoring higher than 50 percentile on the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility),
  • Able to stand for at least 5 minutes without using an assistive device or experiencing excessive fatigue
  • Willing to travel to UNLV 6 times for training and testing.
  • Age \>18 years,
  • With or without a current diagnosis of type II diabetes
  • Able to walk for at least 50 meters without assistance from other people,
  • Able to stand for at least 5 minutes without using an assistive device or experiencing excessive fatigue
  • Willing to travel to UNLV 6 times for training and testing. -

You may not qualify if:

  • Have other concurrent central nervous system diseases that influence motor functions and balance.
  • Have leg/foot ulcer or other conditions that cause pain during weight-bearing.
  • Have cardiovascular, respiratory or other critical health conditions that preclude moderate physical activity.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada, 89154, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

  • Chiviacowsky S, Wulf G, Wally R. An external focus of attention enhances balance learning in older adults. Gait Posture. 2010 Oct;32(4):572-5. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2010.08.004. Epub 2010 Sep 17.

    PMID: 20850325BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Diabetes MellitusDiabetic Neuropathies

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Glucose Metabolism DisordersMetabolic DiseasesNutritional and Metabolic DiseasesEndocrine System DiseasesPeripheral Nervous System DiseasesNeuromuscular DiseasesNervous System DiseasesDiabetes Complications

Study Officials

  • Szu-Ping Lee, PhD

    University of Nevada, Las Vegas

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Szu-Ping Lee, PhD

CONTACT

Szu-Ping Lee, PhD

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT
Masking Details
Participants are randomly assigned to one of the two parallel groups receiving either external or internal attentional focus instructions for the same balance task. Participants will be blinded to this group assignment until final debriefing.
Purpose
BASIC SCIENCE
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Model Details: Participants are randomly assigned to one of the two conditions receiving either external or internal attentional focus instructions for the same balance task. After a washout period of at least 1 month, the participant will repeat the experiment with instruction not previously received (i.e. if the participant received the internal focus instruction during the first phase, he/she will receive the external focus instruction in the second phase).
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

June 4, 2019

First Posted

June 18, 2019

Study Start

October 1, 2019

Primary Completion

December 31, 2023

Study Completion

June 30, 2024

Last Updated

July 28, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-07

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

The individual participant data (IPD) collected in this study is specific to the study protocol only. Sharing of the IPD to other researchers would pose a risk to participant privacy, and is not scientifically merited.

Locations