Can robots help rebuild movement after stroke or injury?

NCT ID NCT07749612

Disease control Sponsor: Bangladesh Medical University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Aug 06, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This trial tests whether robotic devices that guide arm and leg movements can safely improve strength, coordination, and daily function in adults with movement problems from stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, or orthopedic conditions. Participants will use the devices three times a week for 12 weeks alongside standard rehabilitation, and researchers will compare their progress to a group receiving usual care alone. The study focuses on safety, tolerability, and whether robotic training adds extra benefit.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: Robotic rehabilitation trainer systems (ZEPU-2000A for upper limbs, ZEPU-2000D and ZEPU-2000E for lower limbs) that guide repeated arm and leg movements during therapy sessions.
What this could lead to: If effective, these robotic trainers could become a standard addition to rehabilitation, helping people regain strength, movement, and daily function after neurological injuries.
What could go wrong: This is an early feasibility study with a small number of participants, so results may not apply broadly. There are also risks like skin irritation, joint pain, or falls during training.

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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

About 36 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Aug 2026

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

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 to 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

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: * Presence of upper-limb motor dysfunction, with or without concurrent lower-limb impairment, due to one of the following: stroke with onset between 2 and 24 months prior to enrolment; incomplete spinal cord injury (neurological level C5 and below), classified as ASIA Impairment Scale C or D; traumatic brain injury with persistent upper-limb functional limitation; or orthopedic/post-surgical conditions involving the shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand with persistent functional impairment for more than 3 months * Age between 18 and 60 years * Ability to understand study procedures and follow instructions, and to provide written informed consent (or assent with guardian consent where applicable) * Body weight and limb anthropometry compatible with ZEPU-2000A, ZEPU-2000D, and ZEPU-2000E systems, per manufacturer specifications * Medically stable and cleared by a physician for robotic rehabilitation, with no active infection, uncontrolled cardiac or respiratory disease, severe osteoporosis, uncontrolled epilepsy, or untreated deep vein thrombosis Exclusion Criteria: * Complete spinal cord injury or profound motor paralysis preventing safe interaction with robotic devices * Severe cognitive impairment, defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score less than 24, that would compromise safe participation Severe spasticity of the upper limb, defined as a Modified Ashworth Scale score greater than 3 * Unstable fractures, severe fixed joint contractures of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand (e.g., greater than 30 degrees), or severe pain limiting safe robotic training * Uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia, or presence of a pacemaker or other implanted electronic medical device incompatible with robotic sensors * Pregnancy

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Brain Injuries, Traumatic Motor Activity spinal cord injury stroke disorder traumatic brain injury

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) Lower extremity motor dysfunction Stroke Traumatic brain injury Upper extremity motor dysfunction

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Can robots help rebuild movement after stroke or injury?

What the study statuses mean