AAN Robotic Therapy in SCI

William Marsh Rice University14 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that a robot-aided rehabilitation protocol that follows the "assist-as needed" paradigm provide statistically significant improvements in arm and hand motor functions when compared to robot-aided protocols that passively move patients' arms along pre-defined trajectories, in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI).

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injuries

Interventions

MAHI Exo-IIDEVICE

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 75 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Twenty adults with chronic incomplete SCI (according to American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) C-D level) will be recruited from TIRR and from the Houston area. Inclusion Criteria: 1. Providing written informed consent prior to any study related procedures; 2. Age between 18-75 years; 3. Diagnosis of chronic complete or incomplete spinal cord injury as defined by the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment scale classification and at least for 6 months; 4. Not being involved in any specific exercise program (e.g., NMES, FES) within the previous 3 months; 5. No planned alteration in upper-extremity therapy or medication for muscle tone during the course of the study; 6. Eligibility for standard rehabilitation at the time of enrollment (i.e., absence medical comorbidities that would prevent standard rehabilitation); 7. No condition (e.g., severe arthritis, extreme shoulder pain) that would interfere with valid administration of the measures or with interpreting motor testing; Exclusion Criteria: Subjects will be excluded if they have: 1. Any joint contracture or severe spasticity in the affected upper extremity, as measured by a Modified Ashworth Score \> than 3 out of 4; 2. Subject who cannot provide self-transportation to the study location.

Locations (2)

Rice University

Houston, Texas, United States

TIRR Memorial Hermann

Houston, Texas, United States