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CompletedNCT02539914Updated Mar 7, 2017

Feasibility Study of a Virtual Reality Cognitive-motor Task Based on Positive Stimuli for Stroke Rehabilitation

An interventional study of Virtual Reality and Standard in Stroke, sponsored by Universidade da Madeira. Completed at 1 site in Portugal. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-03-07.

Sponsored by Universidade da Madeira · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
18
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether it is feasible to use a virtual reality task for stroke rehabilitation for training motor and cognitive (attention and memory) domains based on the use of positive stimuli, and to evaluate the potential benefits in comparison to standard rehabilitation.

Read the detailed description

There is evidence that positive emotion stimuli can lead to improved performance in attention tasks and the investigators aim to understand the benefits of using this principle in cognitive and upper-limb motor rehabilitation following stroke. For this purpose, the investigators developed a VR attention task in which the user has to find a target image within a variable number of distractors by controlling a virtual arm. In some levels of the task the target has to be memorized, hence training both attention and memory. The target stimuli are positive images based on the individual preferences of each user.

40 participants within the first 6 months after stroke will be randomly allocated to one of two groups: 1) VR motor-cognitive task or 2) standard rehabilitation. The VR motor-cognitive task group will use the above described virtual task customized to each user in terms of the positive content. This also includes selected music that will be introduced in half of the sessions. The standard rehabilitation group will undergo conventional motor and cognitive rehabilitation. The intervention consists of 12 sessions of 45 minutes administered within a 4-6 weeks period. The participants will be evaluated using a number motor and cognitive assessment scales at baseline, end of the intervention and a 1-month follow-up.

02

Conditions studied

  • Stroke

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Keywords

  • Virtual reality
  • Motor and cognitive rehabilitation
  • Positive emotion stimuli
03

In context

Stroke

7,286 studies on the registry are indexed under Stroke; 2,007 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 18 is below the median of 50 across 5,369 interventional studies indexed under Stroke.

Browse Stroke studies →

Lead sponsor

Universidade da Madeira is the lead sponsor of 9 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke within the first 6 months post-stroke
  • motor impairment of the upper extremity but with a minimum score of 28 in the Motricity Index (elbow flexion and shoulder abduction domains combined score)
  • cognitive deficit but with enough capacity to understand the task and follow instructions with a minimum score of 11 over 17 in the Token Test (6-item version, portuguese population)
  • able to read

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • previous motor and/or cognitive deficits
  • normal cognitive functioning with a score above 26 points in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment
  • unilateral spatial neglect
  • moderate to severe depressive symptomatology with a score above 20 points in the Geriatric Depression Scale
  • vision disorders that may interfere with the execution of the task
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
18 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    VR motor-cognitive task

    The VR motor-cognitive task group will perform a virtual reality motor and cognitive attention/memory task customized to each user in terms of the positive content.

    Other: Virtual Reality

  • Active comparator
    Standard rehabilitation

    The standard rehabilitation group will perform conventional motor and cognitive rehabilitation tasks.

    Other: Standard

Interventions

  • OtherVirtual Reality

    Virtual reality based upper-limb motor and cognitive task

  • OtherStandard

    Standard upper-limb motor and cognitive rehabilitation tasks

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change from baseline in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Test (upper extremity)

    Assessment of change from baseline in motor and joint functioning of the paretic upper extremity.

    Time frame: Baseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 4-weeks follow-up

  2. Change form baseline in the Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory

    Assessment of change from baseline in the functionality of the paretic upper extremity.

    Time frame: Baseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 4-weeks follow-up

  3. Change from baseline in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment

    Assessment of change from baseline in cognitive domains: attention and concentration, executive functions, memory, language, visuoconstructional skills, conceptual thinking, calculations, and orientation.

    Time frame: Baseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 4-weeks follow-up

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change from baseline in the Barthel Index

    Assessment of change from baseline in independence in activities of daily living.

    Time frame: Baseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 4-weeks follow-up

  2. Change from baseline in the Modified Ashworth Scale

    Assessment of change from baseline in muscle spasticity of the upper extremity

    Time frame: Baseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 4-weeks follow-up

  3. Change from baseline in the Motricity Index (upper extremity)

    Assessment of change from baseline in muscle power of the paretic upper extremity.

    Time frame: Baseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 4-weeks follow-up

  4. Change from baseline in cancellation tests (single letter, number, bells)

    Assessment of change from baseline in visual scanning deficits

    Time frame: Baseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 4-weeks follow-up

07

Study locations

1 site
  • SESARAM
    Funchal, Madeira 9000-012, Portugal
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Cameirao MS, Faria AL, Paulino T, Alves J, Bermudez I Badia S. The impact of positive, negative and neutral stimuli in a virtual reality cognitive-motor rehabilitation task: a pilot study with stroke patients. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2016 Aug 9;13(1):70. doi: 10.1186/s12984-016-0175-0. PubMed 27503215 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 7, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02539914
Lead sponsor
Universidade da Madeira
Collaborators
Serviço de Saúde da Região Autónoma da Madeira (SESARAM), E.P.E.
Responsible party
Sergi Bermúdez i Badia (Professor Auxiliar, Universidade da Madeira) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 3, 2015
Start date
Jun 2015
Primary completion
Dec 2016
Completion
Dec 2016
Last update
Mar 7, 2017

Study contacts

Sergi Bermudez i Badia, PhD
principal investigator · Universidade da Madeira

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2017. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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