Game that uses muscle signals to retrain arm and hand movements after stroke
Official title: EMG-Controlled Game to Retrain Upper Extremity Muscle Activation Patterns Following Stroke
Funded at Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center · NIH-11310727 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a computer game controlled by your arm muscle electrical signals to help people who have persistent hand or arm problems after a stroke regain more normal movement.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX004523-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310727 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people who have had a stroke and still have difficulty using their hand or arm despite prior rehabilitation, but who can produce some voluntary muscle signals in the affected limb.
✕Less likely to help
People with no usable muscle signals in the affected arm, severe cognitive impairment preventing game participation, or unstable medical issues are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
The system reads electrical activity from muscles in your affected arm and maps those signals to move a cursor in a 2-dimensional game so you can practice more normal muscle patterns. In earlier work, target muscle patterns were taken from the non-affected arm and people used their affected arm to match those patterns while playing games. Twenty stroke survivors showed improved arm function after nine game sessions in preliminary testing. The team plans to make the control more intuitive and expand the game into a full therapy program that trains multiple muscles and movement links.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could improve hand and arm function and daily independence by retraining abnormal muscle activation that standard therapy may miss.
How similar studies have gone: A small preliminary trial with 20 stroke survivors showed significant functional improvements after nine game sessions, so the approach is promising but still early-stage.
Where this research is happening
-
Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dean, Jesse C. — Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Dean, Jesse C.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.