NCT07821346

Brief Summary

Stroke is a major cause of disability and death worldwide. It can also cause sensory, cognitive, and unilateral upper-limb motor impairments. Thus, there is strong need for rehabilitative approaches enhancing motor recovery for stroke patients. To maximize neural, motor and functional recovery, various physical rehabilitation approaches can be employed, including somatosensory training, bilateral arm training, mirror therapy, and robotic therapy. However, few existing system combines mirror visual feedback with robotic assistance simultaneously. This motivated our study to integrate both approaches, providing simultaneous visual and physical feedback to create stronger multisensory stimulation and promote neuroplasticity.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

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

Enrollment
21

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Oct 2025

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

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 Start

First participant enrolled

October 1, 2025

Completed
7 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

April 19, 2026

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

April 19, 2026

Completed
5 months until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

September 9, 2026

Completed
6 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

September 15, 2026

Completed
Last Updated

September 28, 2026

Status Verified

September 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

7 months

First QC Date

September 9, 2026

Last Update Submit

September 23, 2026

Conditions

Healthy Elderly

Keywords

Functional near infrared spectroscopyRobotic armRobot-Mirror therapyUpper extremity rehabilitation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Oxygenated hemoglobin

    The oxygenated hemoglobin was measured while the participants perform the task under five conditions.

    Day 1

Study Arms (1)

Water-Pouring Task Under Five Conditions

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants performed a water-pouring task under five conditions : Robot-Mirror Therapy(RMT), Robot Therapy(RT), Mirror Therapy(MT), Motor Imagery(MI), No Treatment(NT), while functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) measured brain activation.

Behavioral: Robot-Mirror Therapy (RMT)Behavioral: Robot therapy (RT)Behavioral: Mirror Therapy (MT)Behavioral: Motor Imagery (MI)Behavioral: No Treatment (NT)

Interventions

Robot-Mirror Therapy (RMT)BEHAVIORAL

In this condition, the participants focused on the mirror illusion of the non-dominant arm moving while the robotic arm guided the non-dominant hand to perform the mirrored movements.

Water-Pouring Task Under Five Conditions
Robot therapy (RT)BEHAVIORAL

This condition involves robotic-assisted bilateral movements without mirror visual feedback.

Water-Pouring Task Under Five Conditions
Mirror Therapy (MT)BEHAVIORAL

In this condition, participants moved the dominant hand to create a mirrored illusion of movement of the non-dominant while performing the motor task.

Water-Pouring Task Under Five Conditions
Motor Imagery (MI)BEHAVIORAL

Required participants to imagine bilateral movements without physical execution.

Water-Pouring Task Under Five Conditions
No Treatment (NT)BEHAVIORAL

Participants performed the task using the dominant hand only without mirror or robotic arm

Water-Pouring Task Under Five Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsChild (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • years old above
  • Able to understand in Mandarin Chinese or Taiwanese
  • Without past medical history of skeletal muscle or neurological disease
  • Dominant hand is right
  • Normal cognitive function to understand and follow the instructions

You may not qualify if:

  • Use of medications that lower the seizure threshold or use of psychotropic medications.
  • Having shoulder pain, dislocation, or fracture.
  • Having metallic implants , skull defects, or experiencing motion sickness after prolonged usage of fNIRS.
  • With history of mental disorders or current use of any antipsychotic medications.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Nation Cheng Kung University

Tainan, 701, Taiwan

Location

Related Publications (16)

  • Kim DH, Lee KD, Bulea TC, Park HS. Increasing motor cortex activation during grasping via novel robotic mirror hand therapy: a pilot fNIRS study. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2022 Jan 24;19(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s12984-022-00988-7.

    PMID: 35073933BACKGROUND

  • Diers M, Christmann C, Koeppe C, Ruf M, Flor H. Mirrored, imagined and executed movements differentially activate sensorimotor cortex in amputees with and without phantom limb pain. Pain. 2010 May;149(2):296-304. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.02.020. Epub 2010 Mar 31.

    PMID: 20359825BACKGROUND

  • Hardwick RM, Caspers S, Eickhoff SB, Swinnen SP. Neural correlates of action: Comparing meta-analyses of imagery, observation, and execution. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2018 Nov;94:31-44. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.08.003. Epub 2018 Aug 9.

    PMID: 30098990BACKGROUND

  • Hetu S, Gregoire M, Saimpont A, Coll MP, Eugene F, Michon PE, Jackson PL. The neural network of motor imagery: an ALE meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2013 Jun;37(5):930-49. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.03.017. Epub 2013 Apr 10.

    PMID: 23583615BACKGROUND

  • Stoykov ME, Madhavan S. Motor priming in neurorehabilitation. J Neurol Phys Ther. 2015 Jan;39(1):33-42. doi: 10.1097/NPT.0000000000000065.

    PMID: 25415551BACKGROUND

  • Liao WW, Wu CY, Hsieh YW, Lin KC, Chang WY. Effects of robot-assisted upper limb rehabilitation on daily function and real-world arm activity in patients with chronic stroke: a randomized controlled trial. Clin Rehabil. 2012 Feb;26(2):111-20. doi: 10.1177/0269215511416383. Epub 2011 Aug 12.

    PMID: 21840917BACKGROUND

  • Cauraugh JH, Lodha N, Naik SK, Summers JJ. Bilateral movement training and stroke motor recovery progress: a structured review and meta-analysis. Hum Mov Sci. 2010 Oct;29(5):853-70. doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2009.09.004. Epub 2009 Nov 18.

    PMID: 19926154BACKGROUND

  • Thieme H, Morkisch N, Mehrholz J, Pohl M, Behrens J, Borgetto B, Dohle C. Mirror therapy for improving motor function after stroke. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Jul 11;7(7):CD008449. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008449.pub3.

    PMID: 29993119BACKGROUND

  • Rizzolatti G, Craighero L. The mirror-neuron system. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2004;27:169-92. doi: 10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144230.

    PMID: 15217330BACKGROUND

  • Ramachandran VS, Rogers-Ramachandran D. Synaesthesia in phantom limbs induced with mirrors. Proc Biol Sci. 1996 Apr 22;263(1369):377-86. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1996.0058.

    PMID: 8637922BACKGROUND

  • Winstein CJ, Stein J, Arena R, Bates B, Cherney LR, Cramer SC, Deruyter F, Eng JJ, Fisher B, Harvey RL, Lang CE, MacKay-Lyons M, Ottenbacher KJ, Pugh S, Reeves MJ, Richards LG, Stiers W, Zorowitz RD; American Heart Association Stroke Council, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, Council on Clinical Cardiology, and Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research. Guidelines for Adult Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery: A Guideline for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2016 Jun;47(6):e98-e169. doi: 10.1161/STR.0000000000000098. Epub 2016 May 4.

    PMID: 27145936BACKGROUND

  • Ramachandran VS, Altschuler EL. The use of visual feedback, in particular mirror visual feedback, in restoring brain function. Brain. 2009 Jul;132(Pt 7):1693-710. doi: 10.1093/brain/awp135. Epub 2009 Jun 8.

    PMID: 19506071BACKGROUND

  • Lo AC, Guarino PD, Richards LG, Haselkorn JK, Wittenberg GF, Federman DG, Ringer RJ, Wagner TH, Krebs HI, Volpe BT, Bever CT Jr, Bravata DM, Duncan PW, Corn BH, Maffucci AD, Nadeau SE, Conroy SS, Powell JM, Huang GD, Peduzzi P. Robot-assisted therapy for long-term upper-limb impairment after stroke. N Engl J Med. 2010 May 13;362(19):1772-83. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0911341. Epub 2010 Apr 16.

    PMID: 20400552BACKGROUND

  • Clarke DJ, Forster A. Improving post-stroke recovery: the role of the multidisciplinary health care team. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2015 Sep 22;8:433-42. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S68764. eCollection 2015.

    PMID: 26445548BACKGROUND

  • Hsieh CY, Tsao WC, Lin RT, Chao AC. Three years of the nationwide post-acute stroke care program in Taiwan. J Chin Med Assoc. 2018 Jan;81(1):87-88. doi: 10.1016/j.jcma.2017.09.003. Epub 2017 Oct 9.

    PMID: 29033109BACKGROUND

  • Feigin VL, Brainin M, Norrving B, Martins S, Sacco RL, Hacke W, Fisher M, Pandian J, Lindsay P. World Stroke Organization (WSO): Global Stroke Fact Sheet 2022. Int J Stroke. 2022 Jan;17(1):18-29. doi: 10.1177/17474930211065917.

    PMID: 34986727BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Mirror Movement Therapy

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Physical Therapy ModalitiesRehabilitationTherapeutics

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
NA
Masking
NONE
Purpose
OTHER
Intervention Model
SINGLE GROUP
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Chair Professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

September 9, 2026

First Posted

September 15, 2026

Study Start

October 1, 2025

Primary Completion

April 19, 2026

Study Completion

April 19, 2026

Last Updated

September 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Locations

TW(1)