Brain Connections for Arm Movement After Stroke

Description

The purpose of this study is to use Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) while subjects are making reaching movements in a robotic arm device in order to discover how different brain areas control movement before and after stroke and when these brain areas are most sensitive to TMS.

Conditions

Stroke, Brain Disease, Central Nervous System Diseases, Nervous System Diseases, Cardiovascular Diseases

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Study Overview

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Study Details

Study overview

The purpose of this study is to use Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) while subjects are making reaching movements in a robotic arm device in order to discover how different brain areas control movement before and after stroke and when these brain areas are most sensitive to TMS.

Brain Areas That Control Reaching Movements After Stroke: Task-relevant Connectivity and Movement-synchronized Brain Stimulation

Brain Connections for Arm Movement After Stroke

Condition
Stroke
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Pittsburgh

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15240

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Be 45-90 years of age
  • * Have adequate language and neurocognitive function to participate in training and testing
  • * Be medically stable to participate in the study
  • * Be English speaking
  • * Be 45-90 years of age
  • * Clinically defined, unilateral, hemiparetic stroke with radiologic exclusion of other possible diagnosis
  • * Stroke onset at least 6 months before enrollment
  • * Subcortical stroke (ex: internal capsule, deep white matter of posterior frontal lobe)
  • * Present with mild to moderate arm dysfunction
  • * Be medically stable to participate in the study
  • * Be English speaking
  • * Unable to give informed consent
  • * Have a serious complicating medical illness that would preclude participation
  • * Contractures or orthopedic problems limiting range of joint motion in the potential study arm or other impairments that would interfere with the study activities
  • * Visual loss such that the subject would not be able to see the test patterns on the robot computer monitor
  • * Unable to comply with requirements of the study
  • * Enrollment in another greater-than-minimal risk study
  • * Presence of medical condition or implant that prevents safe administration of TMS or MRI
  • * Pregnancy

Ages Eligible for Study

45 Years to 90 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

VA Office of Research and Development,

George F. Wittenberg, MD PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA

Study Record Dates

2026-06-01