Self-Administered Gaming and Exercise at Home (SAGEH) (NCT05929027)
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
This study aims at comparing manual function outcomes between the standard of care and additional self-administered hand therapy after stroke. Strokes are common neurological injuries, and although rates of survival have increased in recent decades, survivors often continue to experience deficiencies in hand dexterity and bimanual function. Most motor recovery takes place within the first 3 months after a stroke. This initial period is necessary for stabilizing the patient but also provides different opportunities to foster motor recovery. Functional gains, including instances after the post-acute period, have been observed after regular and frequent (high dosage) therapy, suggesting that recovery is likely influenced by practice-driven sensorimotor learning. These findings motivate the implementation of daily therapeutic regimes beyond post-stroke hospitalization and basic motor function, aiming instead at addressing overlooked deficiencies in manipulation and bimanual coordination. While some hand therapy is often provided during outpatient therapy visits (the standard of care), self-administered sessions play a large role in implementing additional daily therapy. As a result, the investigators are interested in both the implementation of self-administered regimes and measuring clinical outcomes with and without self-administered therapy.
Who can join: To join this study, participants generally need to meet the listed inclusion criteria (9 items) and avoid the listed exclusions (8 items).
Location: Johns Hopkin — Baltimore, Maryland
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistCheck every box below. If you can check all of them, you may meet the study's basic screening requirements (final eligibility is confirmed by the site team).
Usually NOT eligible if any of the following apply:
- Exclusion Criteria:
- Arm impairment that is too severe (FM-UE \< 40) on day of baseline testing prior to beginning of the study.
- Recent Botox injection to upper limb (since stroke onset).
- History of physical or neurological condition that interferes with study procedures or assessment of motor function (e.g. severe arthritis, severe neuropathy, Parkinson's disease).
- Terminal illness with life expectancy \< 6 months.
- Inability to sit in a chair and perform hand exercises for 20 minutes at the time.
- Cognitive impairment, with score on Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) ≤ 20.
- Social and/or personal circumstances that prevent telemedicine follow-up.
🔍 Extracted verbatim from the official NIH eligibility criteria. Always confirm with the study coordinator.
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (1 Sites)
- Johns Hopkin — Baltimore, Maryland
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.