Can a simple weighted brace boost walking after stroke?
NCT ID NCT01952522
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether wearing a weighted brace on the unaffected ankle for three months helps people who have had a stroke walk farther. Forty-two participants who had a stroke more than three months ago but less than five years ago took part. Half wore a weighted brace (2-4 kg) and half wore a similar brace without added weight. The main goal was to see if the weighted brace increased the distance walked in six minutes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- weighted ankle brace
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, low-cost way to improve walking ability for people recovering from stroke at home.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with only 42 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The intervention is just a weighted brace, so any benefit is likely modest.
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
-
42 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
May 2013
- Finished
-
Sep 2016
- 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
-
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: * Hemiparesis following ischemic or hemorrhagic infarct of a single hemisphere * First episode of stroke experienced \> 3 months and \< 5 years prior to study enrolment * Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC) score \> 3 \< 8 * Be able to walk few meters without physical assistance * Able to understand and follow instructions Exclusion Criteria: * Following inpatient physical rehabilitation * Experienced more than 2 falls during 3 months prior inclusion * Signs of bilateral impairments * Daily use of a wheelchair to move * Contra-indications for daily walk * Currently participating in any clinical trial with a experimental walking intervention * Severe arthrosis * Dementia
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Hemiparesis 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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Sainte Anne Hospital
Paris, 75674, France
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 dance improve balance after hemiparesis?
- Can a nurse and a neighbor help tame chronic disease?
- Can PET scans reveal hidden heart inflammation after a stroke?