Brain scans reveal how robot therapy helps stroke recovery
NCT ID NCT07623512
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study uses a brain imaging technique called fNIRS to watch how the brain changes during robot-assisted hand therapy in stroke survivors. Researchers will compare two types of robotic devices (end-effector and exoskeleton) to see which one better promotes brain reorganization and motor recovery. The trial involves 108 participants and includes a 6-week training program with follow-up assessments up to 3 months after treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- robot-assisted hand therapy (end-effector or exoskeleton device)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could reveal which type of robot therapy best promotes brain healing after stroke, guiding future rehabilitation.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage observational and pilot study, not a treatment trial. It measures brain activity, not clinical outcomes, so direct patient benefits are uncertain.
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
-
About 108 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Nov 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2028
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
-
20 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 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.
Stroke participants Inclusion Criteria: * unilateral stroke onset ≥ 3 months * Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) score between 18 to 56 - modified Ashworth scale ≤ 3 in proximal joints and modified Ashworth scale ≤ 2 in distal joints * able to follow 2-step instructions * without excessive spasticity in any of the UE joints. Exclusion Criteria: * orthopedic conditions affecting the arm/hand or other neurological conditions * severe pain that prevents movement in the affected arm and hand * implanted cardiac pacemakers and cardioverter-defibrillators * osteoporosis, fracture, or severe ataxia * unstable medical status * participating in other rehabilitation or drug studies simultaneously * receiving Botulinum toxin injections within 3 months Healthy participants * have no neurological conditions * have no musculoskeletal disorders affecting the UE
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Stroke are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
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.
-
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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
RECRUITINGTaoyuan, 333, Taiwan
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a checklist and heart monitor stop repeat strokes?
- Heart hole or stroke trigger? global registry tracks who gets closure and what happens next
- Zapping the spine while wearing a robotic ankle: a new way to help kids walk?
- Can a nurse and a neighbor help tame chronic disease?
- Can PET scans reveal hidden heart inflammation after a stroke?
- Two ways to catch a hidden heart rhythm after stroke