A high-tech glove and nerve zaps may reawaken stroke-affected hands
NCT ID NCT05621980
First seen Aug 20, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests a new rehabilitation approach for people who have had a stroke and have lasting hand impairment. Participants wear a soft robotic glove that senses and assists finger movements, combined with targeted electrical stimulation of nerves, while practicing finger movements on a virtual keyboard. The goal is to improve fine motor control and hand function. The study involves 15 training sessions over 5 weeks, with hand function measured before, during, and after training, and again one month later.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- A combination of a soft robotic glove (PneuGlove) with sensors and pneumatic resistance, plus functional electrical stimulation (FES) to assist finger movements during virtual keyboard training.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could offer a new rehabilitation method to help stroke survivors regain fine hand control and independence in daily activities.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early-stage trial (10 participants), so results may not apply broadly. The intervention is complex and requires multiple sessions, and individual outcomes may vary.
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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10 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2023
- Finished
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Jul 2025
- 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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21 years and older
- 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * A single, unilateral stroke 2-18 months prior to enrollment * Moderate to mild hand impairment, as determined by a rating of Stage 4-6 on the Stage of Hand section of the Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment * Visual capacity to discern specific shapes on the computer screen * Capacity to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Rigid contractures in the joints of the upper limbs, or orthopedic issues precluding joint movement * Hemispatial neglect (as assessed by the Behavioral Inattention Test) * Excessive pain in the paretic upper limb (visual analog scale of shoulder pain \< 70)
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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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Hand Rehabilitation Lab
Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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