Skip to content

Pilot Study: A Novel Method of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (kTMP) to Enhance Motor Function in Chronic Stroke Patients

Pilot Study: A Novel Method of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (Kilohertz Transcranial Magnetic Perturbation) to Enhance Motor Function in Chronic Stroke Patients

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06317194
Enrollment
7
Registered
2024-03-19
Start date
2025-09-15
Completion date
2026-04-30
Last updated
2026-06-30

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

Conditions

Stroke

Keywords

kTMP, Motor Rehabilitation, Ischemic Stroke, Hemorrhagic Stroke, Cerebrovascular disease, Cortical Excitability, Plasticity, Neuroscience, Stroke, Central Nervous System Disease, kilohertz Transcranial Magnetic Perturbation

Brief summary

Stroke is a leading cause of disability with many patients suffering chronic motor function impairments that affect their day-to-day activities. The goal of this proposal is to provide a first assessment of the feasibility and efficacy of an innovative non-invasive brain stimulation system, kTMP, in the treatment of motor impairment following stroke.

Detailed description

The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to test the feasibility of a novel first-in-class non-invasive approach to enhance motor function in chronic stroke patients. The kilohertz Transcranial Magnetic Perturbation (kTMP) device allows the investigators to target frequency-specific neural activity non-invasively - with no patient discomfort - at and beyond stimulation intensities associated with enhanced recovery from stroke (up to 8 V/m), something that is not possible to achieve with existing NIBS methods. The trial also aims to assess the preliminary effects of kTMP on upper limb motor performance in individuals with chronic stroke. kTMP stimulation is targeted to the motor hotspot for eliciting motor evoked potentials (MEPs) within motor cortex to evaluate both immediate and longer-term changes in motor performance.

Interventions

DEVICEkTMP

A new non-invasive brain stimulation tool

Sponsors

Magnetic Tides
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY
University of California, Berkeley
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

Participants undergo a 4-week baseline observation period followed by a 4-week intervention period, with assessments collected throughout both phases.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Age 18-80 years with stable upper limb motor dysfunction caused by a single ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke greater than 6 months prior to recruitment 2. Fugl-Meyer Assessment: Upper Extremity (FMA UE) score 20-50 3. Motor evoked potentials in a hand muscle when stimulating ipsilesional cortex with suprathreshold single-pulse TMS (MEP+), a proxy of residual corticospinal function.

Exclusion criteria

1. Participants with cognitive impairment (MoCA \< 20), language impairment that interferes with their ability to adhere to the protocol or to provide informed consent. 2. Individuals who are pregnant, have uncontrolled medical problems including but not limited to severe cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary disease, severe alcohol or drug abuse within the past year, or major depression. 3. Contraindications related to non-invasive brain stimulation

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Fugl- Meyer Assessment (Upper Extremity)8 weeksA comprehensive clinical examination that has been widely used to evaluate stroke-related motor impairment. It is graded from 0 (hemiplegia) to 66 for the Upper extremity. Higher scores signifies better motor control, and hence a better outcome.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Movement smoothness of Reach-to-Grasp8 weeksMovement smoothness of the reach phase will be quantified using three-dimensional hand kinematics recorded via an electromagnetic motion capture system. Spectral Arc Length (SPARC): A frequency-domain measure of movement smoothness (Balasubramanian et al., 2015, Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation). More negative values indicate less smooth, more fragmented movement.
Action Research Arm Test (ARAT)8 weeksA standardized assessment of functional hand motor performance measured by four basic movements used in everyday life (gross arm movement, grasp, grip and pinch). The scores range from 0 to 57. Higher score means a better arm motor status.
Trial to Trial Variability (T2TV)8 weeksDefined as the mean-squared error between the joint angle time-series for a given trial and the median joint angle timeseries. The median T2TV will be calculated for eleven degrees of freedom.
Range of Joint Motion (ROM)8 weeksdefined as the standard deviation of the joint angle time series for a given trial. The median ROM will be calculated for eleven degrees of freedom and then averaged. If there are joints which appear to be compensatory, they will be removed from the analysis
Grasp to Lift Time8 weeksCalculated for each of three epochs, pre, during and post
Transport Time8 weeksCalculated for each of three epochs, pre, during and post

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Aug 14, 2026