NCT04477330

Brief Summary

Achieving functional ambulation post stroke continues to be a challenge for stroke survivors, clinicians, and researchers. In the effort to enhance outcomes of motor training, cortical priming using brain stimulation has emerged as a promising adjuvant to conventional rehabilitation. This project focuses on the development of a long term gait rehabilitation protocol using brain stimulation to improve walking outcomes in people with stroke. The project will also aim to understand the neural mechanisms that are associated with response to the intervention.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

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

Enrollment
100

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable stroke

Timeline
15mo left

Started Sep 2020

Longer than P75 for not_applicable stroke

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
recruiting

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

Study Progress82%
Sep 2020Aug 2027

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

July 9, 2020

Completed
11 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

July 20, 2020

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

September 1, 2020

Completed
6.3 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 31, 2026

Expected
8 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

August 31, 2027

Last Updated

May 11, 2026

Status Verified

August 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

6.3 years

First QC Date

July 9, 2020

Last Update Submit

May 8, 2026

Conditions

Keywords

tDCSWalking

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Walking speed with 10 meter walk test

    Self-selected and fastest gait speed will be measured as the average of 3 trials of the 10-m walk test (10MWT).

    Change from baseline to immediately after training and baseline to 3 months follow up

Secondary Outcomes (15)

  • Walking spatiotemporal characteristics with GAITRite walkway

    Change from baseline to immediately after training and baseline to 3 months follow up

  • Motor impairment with Fugl Meyer Lower Extremity Scale

    Change from baseline to immediately after training and baseline to 3 months follow up

  • Walking endurance with 6-minute walk test

    Change from baseline to immediately after training and baseline to 3 months follow up

  • Ankle range of motion

    Change from baseline to immediately after training and baseline to 3 months follow up

  • Ankle motor control

    Change from baseline to immediately after training and baseline to 3 months follow up

  • +10 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

Priming+HIISTT

EXPERIMENTAL

Facilitatory transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and ankle motor training before high intensity interval speed based treadmill training

Other: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)Other: Ankle motor trainingBehavioral: High intensity interval speed based treadmill training (HIISTT)

Sham+HIISTT

SHAM COMPARATOR

Sham tDCS before high intensity interval speed based treadmill training

Behavioral: High intensity interval speed based treadmill training (HIISTT)

Interventions

Visuomotor target tracking task

Priming+HIISTT

Each treadmill session to include warm-up, high intensity speed-based intervals interleaved with active recovery, and cool down.

Priming+HIISTTSham+HIISTT

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

  • Age greater than 18 years
  • First ever monohemispheric stroke \> 3 months since onset
  • Residual hemiparetic gait deficits (e.g. abnormal gait pattern)
  • Able to walk for 5 minutes at self-paced speed. Handheld assistive device is acceptable.
  • Walking speed lesser than 1.2 m/s
  • Lower limb Fugl-Meyer Motor score between 15-30
  • At least 5 deg of ankle dorsiflexion necessary to perform the ankle-tracking task

You may not qualify if:

  • Severe osteoporosis
  • Contracture-limiting range of motion of lower limb
  • Score of more than 2 on the Modified Ashworth Scale (indicating increased muscle tone through ankle range of motion)
  • Uncontrolled anti-spasticity medications during the study period
  • Score less than 6 on the Fugl-Meyer Sensory Assessment Scale for the Lower Limb
  • Cardiorespiratory or metabolic diseases (e.g. cardiac arrhythmia, uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes, chronic emphysema)
  • Unhealed decubiti, persistent infection
  • Significant cognitive or communication impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)\<21), which could impede the understanding of the purpose of procedures of the study or prevent the patient from performing the ankle-tracking task.
  • Lesions involving the brainstem and cerebellum
  • Failure to pass the graded exercise stress test
  • Implanted cardiac pacemaker
  • Metal implants in the head or face
  • Unexplained, recurring headaches
  • History of seizures or epilepsy
  • Currently under medication that could increase motor excitability and lower seizure threshold
  • +7 more criteria

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Physical Therapy

Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

  • Cleland BT, Madhavan S. The Association of Interlimb Coordination and Temporal Symmetry With Walking Function and Motor Impairment After Stroke. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2024 Dec 1;103(12):1104-1109. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002522. Epub 2024 May 6.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stroke

Interventions

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Cerebrovascular DisordersBrain DiseasesCentral Nervous System DiseasesNervous System DiseasesVascular DiseasesCardiovascular Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Electric Stimulation TherapyTherapeuticsConvulsive TherapyPsychiatric Somatic TherapiesBehavioral Disciplines and ActivitiesElectroshockPsychological Techniques

Study Officials

  • Sangeetha Madhavan

    University of Illinois at Chicago

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Sangeetha Madhavan

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
TRIPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

July 9, 2020

First Posted

July 20, 2020

Study Start

September 1, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 31, 2027

Last Updated

May 11, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-08

Locations