Arm Use With Soft-robotic Glove
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Carbonhand.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Trauma Injury of Hand Multiple, Neurologic Disorder. Basic parameters: 18 years — 90 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Netherlands
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Influence of Assistive Soft-robotic Glove Use on Actual Arm Use in Daily Life
Overview
This study, aimed at investigating the impact of using a supportive soft-robotic glove on actual arm and hand use in daily life, is designed as a single-case experimental design study. 3-5 patients with limitations in hand function due to trauma-related or neurological conditions are asked to participate. Participants will be asked to use a soft-robotic glove at home for six weeks during daily activities relevant to them, while that glove supports the grip of their most affected hand. For several weeks before, during and after the use of the soft-robotic glove, participants will be asked to do some short tests (wearing an activity meter on both wrists during the day, performing a hand squeeze test under the supervision of the researcher via video call) and to answer some questions related to perceived hand function and well-being (a total of at least 15 times during 12-14 weeks). The present study is a follow-up to previous studies that investigated the effect of (previous versions of) the same robotic glove (Carbonhand; Bioservo Technolo-gies AB, Kista, Sweden) on hand function, in order to better understand and explain the observed therapeutic effect.
Interventions
- Device Carbonhand
During this phase, participants use the Carbonhand soft-robotic glove system in daily life for 6 weeks to support the performance of daily activities with their affected hand in the home environment. The participants are free to choose for which activities, when and for how long they use the Carbonhand. However, it is recommended to use the Carbonhand at least 180 minutes a week during the most common ADL, such as household activities, dressing/undressing, eating/drinking/cooking, and/or leisure
Primary outcome measures
- Actual arm activity [Time frame: During home assessments: 15 times scheduled intermittently across 12-14 weeks (5x in each of the three study phases), while wearing the MotionWatch for a day during waking hours (ca. 12h).]
Secondary outcome measures (12)
- Grip strength [Time frame: During home assessments: 15 times scheduled intermittently across 12-14 weeks (5x in each of the three study phases), with supervision by researcher on videocall]
- Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire - Question 2 (MHQ-Q2) [Time frame: During home assessments: 15 times scheduled intermittently across 12-14 weeks (5x in each of the three study phases)]
- Positive Health questionnaire [Time frame: During home assessments: 15 times scheduled intermittently across 12-14 weeks (5x in each of the three study phases)]
- Glove use data [Time frame: Continuously and automatically during soft-robotic glove use phase (6 weeks) when soft-robotic glove is turned on and activated.]
- Diary [Time frame: Continuously during soft-robotic glove use phase (6 weeks) when soft-robotic glove is used]
- Motor Activity Log (MAL) [Time frame: Thee times across 12-14 weeks during evaluations at the end of each study phase (between week 2-4, week 8-10, week 12-14, with exact scheduling depending on randomized length of baseline phase)]
- Jebsen-Taylor hand function test (JTHFT) [Time frame: Thee times across 12-14 weeks during evaluations at the end of each study phase (between week 2-4, week 8-10, week 12-14, with exact scheduling depending on randomized length of baseline phase)]
- Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) [Time frame: Thee times across 12-14 weeks during evaluations at the end of each study phase (between week 2-4, week 8-10, week 12-14, with exact scheduling depending on randomized length of baseline phase)]
- Michigan Hand Outcome Questionnaire - Dutch Language Version (MHQ-DLV) [Time frame: Thee times across 12-14 weeks during evaluations at the end of each study phase (between week 2-4, week 8-10, week 12-14, with exact scheduling depending on randomized length of baseline phase)]
- Euroqol-5D (EQ-5D) [Time frame: Thee times across 12-14 weeks during evaluations at the end of each study phase (between week 2-4, week 8-10, week 12-14, with exact scheduling depending on randomized length of baseline phase)]
- Short-Form (SF-36) [Time frame: Thee times across 12-14 weeks during evaluations at the end of each study phase (between week 2-4, week 8-10, week 12-14, with exact scheduling depending on randomized length of baseline phase)]
- Semi-structured interview [Time frame: One time across 12-14 weeks during evaluation at the end of the intervention phase (between week 8-10, with exact scheduling depending on randomized length of baseline phase)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Age between 18 and 90 years
- Experience difficulties in performing ADL due to hand function limitations as a result of trauma-related injury or neurologic disorder
- Being in a chronic/stable phase of disease as judged by their physician
- Able to activate the soft-robotic glove by generating pressure on finger/palm sensors when grasping an object
- Ability to relax an active grip
- Sufficient cognitive status to understand two-step instructions
- Having (corrected to) normal vision
- Able to provide written informed consent
- Living independently
Exclusion criteria
- Severe sensory problems of the most-affected hand
- Severe acute pain of the most-affected hand
- Wounds on the hands that can provide a problem when using the glove
- Severe contractures limiting passive range of motion to the extent that the glove can't be donned/activated comfortably
- Co-morbidities limiting functional use/performance of the arms and/or hands
- Severe spasticity of the hand (≥2 points on Ashworth Scale)
- Severe proximal weakness (MRC shoulder elevation<4)
- Used the Carbonhand system in the past 3 months
- Participation in other studies that can affect functional performance of the arm/hand
- Receiving arm-/hand function therapy during the course of the study
- Insufficient digital literacy to conduct video calls
- Insufficient knowledge of the Dutch or English language to understand the purpose or methods of the study
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Other
Study locations
Netherlands · 1 center
- Roessingh Research and Development — Enschede
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06033027 · 85214