Operant Conditioning of Reflex Pathways to Improve Walking in Individuals Post-stroke

Status

UNKNOWN

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT05801744

Enrollment

Registered

2023-04-06

Start date

2022-08-01

Completion date

2025-12-31

Last updated

2023-04-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Foot Drop, Post-stroke Hemiparesis, Stroke

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in reflex pathways in the paretic ankle plantarflexors in individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis using operant conditioning. We are recruiting 5 individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis with foot drop in the affected leg to participate in the reflex training procedure. The study involves 40 visits with a total study duration of about 4 months.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALOperant conditioning

In this training, individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis are trained to increase the amount of reciprocal inhibition in their paretic leg. By increasing the amount of reciprocal inhibition, the paretic ankle in people post-stroke may exhibit less foot drop.

Study design

Allocation

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* At least 6 months following a single, unilateral stroke, resulting in hemiparesis. * Ambulatory with or without assistive device, but must demonstrate a gait deficit which is indicative of foot drop from reduced activation of the tibialis anterior muscle. * Able to follow verbal directions. * Able to see icons on computer monitor (with or without corrective lenses) from at least 4 feet away. * All subjects will be adults at least 18 years old. * Know history and current medication management for lower limb spasticity, if any.

Exclusion criteria

* No history of ear disease or balance problems outside of those caused by the stroke. * Cerebellar stroke * No other neurological disease or injuries other than the stroke affecting the use of the legs and/or walking.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Change in magnitude of reciprocal inhibition	Before training Baseline, after completion of 30 training sessions, and 1 month after the completion of intervention

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026