At a glance
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Priming Upper Extremity Motor Practice With Aerobic Exercise: A Feasibility and Pilot Study
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating Aerobic Exercise + Duck Duck Punch for Stroke. Completed, enrolled 10 participants across 1 site.
Detailed Summary
The purpose of this project is to establish initial feasibility and tolerability of a combined aerobic exercise (AEx) and upper extremity motor practice intervention on upper extremity (UE) function in chronic stroke survivors. This novel intervention pairs AEx with a virtual reality-based upper extremity rehabilitation game, Duck Duck Punch (DDP). AEx has been shown to improve overall brain function and promote a healthy brain environment; thus it may serve as an effective 'primer' and enhance the effects of DDP. Movement-based priming for rehabilitation involves performing movement or exercise before, or simultaneous to, an intervention with the goal of improving the effectiveness of the intervention. AEx combined with UE rehabilitation can improve UE function and self-reported health status in chronic stroke survivors. However, gaps remain regarding the clinical applicability of an AEx priming session and the mechanisms contributing to changes in UE functions in response to AEx-primed UE rehabilitation. Therefore, the aim of this project is to: 1) demonstrate the feasibility of pairing AEx + DDP in stroke survivors; 2) quantify the magnitude of the effect of the AEx + DDP intervention on UE function; 3) examine relationship of biomarkers of the nervous system and response to AEx + DDP.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
Subjects will perform 15 minutes of aerobic exercise on a recumbent stationary cycle. On each session the target intensity of aerobic exercise will be 70% heart rate reserve. Following a 10-minute rest break subjects will perform 200 repetitions on an upper extremity rehabilitation game called Duck Duck Punch (DDP). Duck Duck Punch is an interactive game with an old school carnival theme. DDP is unique as it uses Microsoft Kinect skeletal tracking technology to assess movement performance. The participant sits in front of the Microsoft Kinect and controls a virtual arm with his/her physical arm; reaching forward to "punch" virtual ducks. A therapist will oversee the subject's safety and progress during DDP. DDP will be dosed based on the number of repetitions performed. A repetition is recorded when the player moves his/her arm so that the avatar leaves a start position. The goal dose for subjects will be 200 repetitions per DDP session.