Practice Structure on Motor Learning in Post-Stroke Patients - Full Text View

Sponsored by:	University of Sao Paulo
Information provided by:	University of Sao Paulo
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00604747

Purpose

Background: The literature indicates that, in relation to motor learning, healthy subjects benefit more from random practice than from constant practice. However, this effect is not well known in post-stroke patients. Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of practice structure on motor learning in post-stroke patients. Methods: Participants included an experimental group (EG) of post-stroke patients: 17 males and females; and a control group (CG) of healthy individuals: 17 males and females. At the acquisition phase, all participants performed 30 trials of a coincident timing task. Nine individuals from each group practiced constantly (C) at a stimulus propagation speed of 3 mph, and eight from each group practiced randomly (R) at speeds of 2, 3, and 5 mph. Subsequent phases included: 1) transfer, 2) retention after 15 minutes, and 3) retention after 3 days. Each of these phases included 20 trials: 10 at a speed of 1 mph, and 10 at a speed of 4 mph. Intra- and inter-group comparisons were made employing an alpha level of 0.05 (5%).

Condition	Intervention
Stroke	Other: Structure practice

MedlinePlus related topics: Methamphetamine

U.S. FDA Resources

Study Type:	Interventional
Study Design:	Treatment, Open Label, Uncontrolled, Single Group Assignment
Official Title:	The Effects of Practice Structure on Motor Learning in Post-Stroke Patients

Further study details as provided by University of Sao Paulo:

Primary Outcome Measures:

change in performance during the acquisition; performance exhibited during the transfer phase was maintained during retention phases 1 and 2; and differences between the groups during the transfer phase and retention phases [ Time Frame: time in miliseconds ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Enrollment:	34
Study Start Date:	August 2006
Study Completion Date:	July 2007
Primary Completion Date:	July 2007 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Arms	Assigned Interventions
1, 2	Other: Structure practice there were 2 groups which received random practice and constant practice during acquisition phase

Detailed Description:

Utilized was Bassin's anticipation timer (Lafayette Instruments #50575), which is comprised of a control screen, one 1.52 m gutter with 32 diodes placed on it linearly, and a response button. The screen has a digital display, with commands that permit the operator to control the stimulus propagation speed and the preparatory interval speed. Once activated, the screen exhibits an alert signal, and, after the preparatory interval, it initiates the propagation of a luminous stimulus, lighting the 32 diodes successively. The task required participants to press the response button simultaneously with the illumination of the last diode. The digital display showed the error measure (em): that is, the difference between the illumination of the last diode and the response.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:	40 Years to 62 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:	Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:	Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

First cerebrovascular accident
Lesion covering the middle and the anterior cerebral artery territories
Presence of hemiplegia or hemiparesis
Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score above 24 (19)
Sufficient attention and comprehension to perform the task
Absence of other associated neurological diseases.

Exclusion Criteria:

Acute medical problems
Uncorrected vision loss
Previous history of psychiatric admission
History of multiple strokes, transient ischemic attacks
Pathology of the less affected, ipsilateral to stroke upper extremity that would affect ability to perform the task
Score of 23 or less on the MMSE
Difficulty in comprehension of verbal command and simple instructions
Aphasia of comprehension.

Contacts and Locations

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00604747

Locations

Brazil, SP
Camila Torriani
São Paulo, SP, Brazil, 02415000

Sponsors and Collaborators

University of Sao Paulo

Investigators

Principal Investigator:	Camila Torriani	University of São Paulo
Study Chair:	Camila Torriani	University of São Paulo

More Information

Responsible Party:	University of São Paulo ( Camila Torriani )
Study ID Numbers:	0038.0.254.000-05, 0038.0.254.000-05
Study First Received:	January 17, 2008
Last Updated:	January 29, 2008
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00604747
Health Authority:	Brazil: National Committee of Ethics in Research

Keywords provided by University of Sao Paulo:

motor learning
hemiplegia
stroke
practice
physiotherapy

Study placed in the following topic categories:

Hemiplegia
Cerebral Infarction
Stroke
Vascular Diseases
Brain Ischemia
Central Nervous System Diseases

Ischemia
Brain Infarction
Brain Diseases
Infarction
Cerebrovascular Disorders

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Nervous System Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on January 14, 2009