Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28558789›Full record

Trial reportJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2017

Repetitive reaching training combined with transcranial Random Noise Stimulation in stroke survivors with chronic and severe arm paresis is feasible: a pilot, triple-blind, randomised case series.

Kathryn S Hayward, Sandra G Brauer, Kathy L Ruddy, David Lloyd, Richard G Carson

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Advances in Stroke Neurorehabilitation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023
    Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 5 countries.

Kathryn S HaywardDivision of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Sandra G BrauerDivision of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Kathy L RuddyDepartment of Health Sciences and Technology, Neural Control of Movement Lab, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. kathy.ruddy@hest.ethz.ch.
David LloydQueensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Richard G CarsonTrinity College Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
The University of Queensland · AUETH Zurich · CHTrinity College Dublin · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTherapy that combines repetitive training with non-invasive brain stimulation is a potential avenue to enhance upper limb recovery after stroke. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS), timed to coincide with the generation of voluntary motor commands, during reaching training.

methodsA triple-blind pilot RCT was completed. Four stroke survivors with chronic (6-months to 5-years) and severe arm paresis, not taking any medications that had the potential to alter cortical excitability, and no contraindications to tRNS or MRI were recruited. Participants were randomly allocated to 12 sessions of reaching training over 4-weeks with active or sham tRNS delivered over the lesioned hemisphere motor representation. tRNS was triggered to coincide with a voluntary movement attempt, ceasing after 5-s. At this point, peripheral nerve stimulation enabled full range reaching. To determine feasibility, we considered adverse events, training outcomes, clinical outcomes, corticospinal tract (CST) structural integrity, and reflections on training through in-depth interviews from each individual case.

resultsTwo participants received active and two sham tRNS. There were no adverse events. All training sessions were completed, repetitive practice performed and clinically relevant improvements across motor outcomes demonstrated. The amount of improvement varied across individuals and appeared to be independent of group allocation and CST integrity.

conclusionReaching training that includes tRNS timed to coincide with generation of voluntary motor commands is feasible. Clinical improvements were possible even in the most severely affected individuals as evidenced by CST integrity.

trial registrationThis study was registered on the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) http://www.ANZCTR.org.au/ACTRN12614000952640.aspx . Registration date 4 September 2014, first participant date 9 September 2014.

Indexed as

AdultArmAustraliaExercise TherapyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedParesisPilot ProjectsRecovery of FunctionStrokeStroke RehabilitationSurvivorsTranscranial Direct Current StimulationTranscutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationFunctionMagnetic resonance imagingNon-invasive brain stimulationStrokeUpper limb

Identifiers

PMID28558789
PMCPMC5450344
OpenAlexW2617268879

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.