Stroke recovery: could training the 'Good' arm boost independence?
NCT ID NCT03634397
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether training the less-affected arm in chronic stroke survivors can improve overall function. 58 people who had a stroke at least 6 months ago took part. They received either virtual reality and manipulation training for their less-impaired arm or standard therapy for their paretic arm. The goal was to see if improving the less-affected arm's speed and coordination leads to better independence in daily activities.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Less-Impaired Arm Training (virtual reality and manipulation exercises)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could lead to a simple training program that helps stroke survivors use both arms better in daily life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with only 58 people. The results may not apply to everyone, and the training is intensive (15 sessions over 7 weeks).
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
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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
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58 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2019
- Finished
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Aug 2024
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 85 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: 1. neuroradiological confirmation of unilateral brain damage with residual contralesional upper-extremity weakness 2. deficits in ipsilesional arm performance assessed by the JTHFT 3. 6+ months post stroke 4. Demonstrates cognitive abilities Exclusion Criteria: a history of: 1. neurological disease other than stroke (e.g., head trauma) 2. a major psychiatric diagnosis (e.g., schizophrenia, major affective disorder), 3. hospital admission for substance abuse 4. peripheral disorders affecting sensation or movement of the upper extremities, including pain or arthritis 5. currently taking prescription drugs with known sedative properties that are interfering with sensory-motor function 6. significant joint pain that is activity limiting 7. bilateral stroke
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Penn State College of Medicine
Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, United States
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California, 90089, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Moving patterns may help stroke survivors read faster
- Vibrating wearables put stroke walking to the test
- Robot plus electrical stimulation aims to rebuild arm movement after stroke
- Can a checklist and heart monitor stop repeat strokes?
- Heart hole or stroke trigger? global registry tracks who gets closure and what happens next