Stroke
Conditions
Keywords
Stroke, Yoga, LoveYourBrain, Virtual rehabilitation
Brief summary
The primary objective of this mixed-methods pilot crossover study is to determine the feasibility (participant satisfaction, recruitment rate, retention, participant and assessor burden, adherence, equipment and technology issues, and safety) of virtual and in-person LYB yoga for adult people with lived experience of stroke in Nova Scotia who are at least three months post stroke. The secondary objective is to estimate the efficacy of virtual and in-person yoga for improving balance, walking, mobility, mental health (anxiety and depression), and other health outcomes (pain, sleep, health perception, and falls). The tertiary objective is to estimate the extent to which cognition, fatigue, and health-related quality of life change following the LYB program. Participants will engage in LYB Yoga virtual and in-person classes for 90 minutes each, twice per week, as well as one 60-minute recorded class completed on their own time.
Detailed description
LoveYourBrain (LYB) is a six-week manualized Yoga program that was originally developed for traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. The sessions involve meditation, breathing, a variety of Yoga postures, and psychoeducation and discussion components. The program contains key aspects of neuroplasticity and motor learning, which are essential for promoting stroke recovery. This program can be adapted to suit the needs of the subacute and chronic stroke survivor population: adjusting postures to allow for people with stroke to participate, as well as a variety of seated and standing options will be made available in the LYB Yoga program. This program will also involve group discussion, educational activities, and coping strategies to help with stroke recovery, while creating a sense of community and mutual understanding. The program has not yet been offered in the stroke context, nor is it available across Nova Scotia. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to test the feasibility of adapting LYB for the stroke context and making it widely available across Nova Scotia in a virtual and in-person format.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALLoveYourBrain Yoga
The LoveYourBrain Yoga program consists of various techniques, including: breathing, Yoga postures, meditation, and psychoeducation as well as a group discussion.
Sponsors
Nova Scotia Health Authority
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Participants will be eligible if they are an adult (aged 18 or older), living with late subacute or chronic stroke (minimum of three months post stroke), residing in Nova Scotia, capable of walking at least 10-metres independently, with supervision, or with the use of an aid or orthotic, and medically stable for eight weeks prior to the baseline visit. Participants must also be able to follow a three-step command for the purpose of yoga class instruction as recommended by our lead yoga instructor.
Exclusion criteria
Participants with severe neglect or other issues affecting their safety and participation will be excluded. Participants with cardiovascular, orthopedic, or neurological diseases other than stroke, impacting walking, balance, and mobility will be excluded. Participants who do not have a stable and reliable internet connection will be excluded.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Recruitment rate | Baseline | Percentage of eligible stroke survivors approached and agree to participate. |
| Participant satisfaction | Weekly satisfaction questionnaire (weeks 1-24) via smartphone app | Satisfaction questionnaire |
| Participant retention | Weeks 1-24 | Percentage of of participants who complete the LYB program |
| Participant and assessor burden | During the 4 assessments (Baseline, 6 weeks, 18 weeks, 24 weeks) | Assessment time |
| Adherence | Weeks 1-24 | Class attendance- Weekly surveys via smartphone app and yoga instructor tracking |
| Equipment | Weeks 1-24 and interviews at the end of 24 weeks | Technical issues during virtual classes- Yoga instructor tracking during each class and interviews at the end of the study |
| Smartphone application | Weeks 1-24 and interviews at the end of 24 weeks | Issues with smartphone application-Weekly smartphone surveys and interviews at the end of the study |
| Safety -Serious Adverse Events | Monitoring during each class (weeks 1-24) and at all 4 assessments (Baseline, 6 weeks, 18 weeks, 24 weeks) | Serious adverse events related to the study |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Balance | During the 4 assessments (Baseline, 6 weeks, 18 weeks, 24 weeks) | Dynamic balance will be assessed using the MiniBESTest |
| Walking | During the 4 assessments (Baseline, 6 weeks, 18 weeks, 24 weeks) | Walking speed will be assessed using the 10-metre walking test |
| Mobility | During the 4 assessments (Baseline, 6 weeks, 18 weeks, 24 weeks) | Functional mobility will be measured using the 5-times sit-to-stand test |
| Mental health | During the 4 assessments (Baseline, 6 weeks, 18 weeks, 24 weeks) | Mental health related outcomes will be measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Scores of 0-4 indicate none to minimal depressive symptoms, 5-9 mild depression, 10-14 moderate depression, 15-19 moderately severe depression, and 20-27 severe depression. |
| Health outcomes | Weekly surveys via smartphone app | The levels of sleep, pain and health perception will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale, as well as a question about the number of times the person fell within the past week. |
Countries
Canada
Contacts
CONTACTAdria Quigley, PhD
Outcome results
None listed