Robotic -Assisted Rehabilitation for Multiple Sclerosis: An Adaptive Approach for Individualized Therapy

NCT07070388 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: Brock University
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 9
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate four-weeks of an upper limb robotic intervention for persons with Multiple Sclerosis. Participants completed a resistive and adaptive robotic training intervention whereby participants trained three times weekly for four consecutive weeks.

Conditions

Multiple Sclerosis

Keywords

Rehabilitation; Upper Limb; Robot; Multiple Sclerosis

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• maximum grip force

  Participants were asked to complete one trial of a maximum grip test (Baseline Evaluation Instruments). Held with a straight arm, 45° abduction by the side and hand/wrist neutral, participants were asked to squeeze the handle as hard as possible for 3 seconds and grip force (Newton) was recorded.

  Baseline (Week 0) and immediately post intervention (Week 4)

• Maximum isometric wrist force

  the participant's arm was fully extended and rested on the table, and participants were instructed to exert force at the wrist joint (F/E, RD/UD) as hard as they could against the stationary load cell that rested on the metacarpophalangeal joints (Model: BG 500, Mark-10 Corporation, New York, USA). Two maximal exertions were completed and the largest value was recorded.

  Baseline (Week 0) and immediately post intervention (Week 4)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Wrist tracking task

  Baseline (Week 0) and immediately post intervention (Week 4)

• wrist range of motion

  Baseline (Week 0) and immediately post intervention (Week 4)

• Wolf Motor Function Test

  Baseline (Week 0) and immediately post intervention (Week 4)

Study Arms (2)

Indirect training group

EXPERIMENTAL

trained their self-reported less affected upper limb

Device: end-effector robotic training

Direct training group

EXPERIMENTAL

trained their self-reported most affected limb

Device: end-effector robotic training

Interventions

end-effector robotic training DEVICE

For the robotic training sessions, a haptic wrist robot known as the Wristbot was used (ReWing, Genova, Italy). The training protocol consisted of an eccentric contraction-based exercise. Participants trained 3x per week for 4 consecutive weeks for approximately 25-mins per session.

Direct training group; Indirect training group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 75 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Diagnosis of MS
• No other neurological diagnosis
• No injury to the upper limb (i.e., broken bones)

You may not qualify if:

• \- Relapse in the past 6 months

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Michael Holmes: lead

Study Sites (1)

Brock University

St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S3A1, Canada

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Mannella, K., Albanese, G. A., Ditor, D., Zenzeri, J. & Holmes, M. W. R. Preliminary Evaluation of an Adaptive Robotic Training Program of the Wrist for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis. Appl. Sci. 11, 9239 (2021).

  BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Multiple Sclerosis

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS; Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System; Nervous System Diseases; Demyelinating Diseases; Autoimmune Diseases; Immune System Diseases

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 27, 2025
• First Posted: July 17, 2025
• Study Start: January 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: August 31, 2023
• Study Completion: June 27, 2025
• Last Updated: July 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
• Time Frame: June 2025 - June 2028

Locations

CA (1)