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Robots map how brain and nerve injuries disrupt everyday arm tasks

NCT ID NCT02778529

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early This study
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are studying how people with stroke, upper limb amputation, spinal cord injury, or cerebral palsy move their arms during common daily activities like drinking and pouring. The study uses two passive desktop robots to track the motion of each arm in participants and healthy volunteers. By comparing movement patterns, the team aims to understand how damaged nerve pathways affect the ability to perform everyday tasks.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Bilateral assessment robots (BiAS), two passive desktop robots that measure arm movement
What this could lead to
If the robot measurements reveal clear movement patterns, this could help therapists design better rehabilitation plans for people with long-term arm impairments.
What could go wrong
The study is small, with only 18 participants, and it does not test any treatment. The findings may not apply broadly, and measuring movement in a lab may not reflect real-world abilities.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

18 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

May 2014

Finished

Sep 2023

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Study will include subjects 18 years of age or older from any of the below groups: * Stroke survivors, 3 months post event * Upper extremity amputees, 3 months post event * Cervical SCI (C-5 to C-7), 3 months post event * Cerebral palsy participants * Healthy participants Exclusion Criteria: * The inability to perform at least some aspects of ADL tasks such as drinking, pouring, pinching, and grasping. * Severe spasticity

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cerebral palsy peripheral nervous system disorder peripheral neuropathy spinal cord injury stroke disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Cerebral palsy Peripheral neuropathy Spinal cord injuries Stroke

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Penn Medicine Rittenhouse

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19146, United States

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