Precision vibration therapy for improving muscle function and pain in older adults and stroke survivors

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

The program will implement a precision vibration exercise system and enroll frail older adults and clinically stable stroke survivors to receive vibration sessions or conventional rehabilitation. Researchers will measure limb muscle strength, proprioceptive function, movement performance, and use quantitative pain assessments and validated scales to map chronic pain thresholds and affected regions. Early phases focus on neuromuscular and functional gains while later phases emphasize pain evaluation and validation of therapeutic effects. Sessions are supervised, require participants to be able to sit and safely use the device, and include cognitive and spasticity screening for eligibility.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

Older Adults:

* Meet two or more criteria of the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) frailty index
* Willing to participate in the study and comply with all study procedures
* Able to wear and safely use the vibration device
* Normal cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination \[MMSE\] score ≥ 23)
* Presence of knee joint pain in the lower limbs

Stroke Survivors:

* Clinical diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke confirmed by a physician
* Clinically stable stroke condition (i.e., not in an acute or unstable phase)
* Brunnstrom stage ≥ III for the affected limb
* Cognitive ability sufficient to follow study procedures (MMSE score ≥ 23)
* Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score \< 3 for the paretic limb
* Able to sit safely and participate in vibration or rehabilitation sessions for up to 60 minutes per visit
* Willing and able to comply with all study procedures and provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Older Adults:

* Acute or chronic neurological injury involving the upper or lower limbs within the past 6 months
* Acute or chronic musculoskeletal injury involving the upper or lower limbs within the past 6 months
* History of surgery on the upper or lower limbs within the past 6 months

Stroke Survivors:

* Recurrent stroke during the current episode (i.e., acute re-stroke) or otherwise clinically unstable stroke presentation
* Markedly elevated spasticity preventing isolated voluntary movement of the target limb (MAS score ≥ 3)
* Hemianopsia or severe hemineglect that significantly interferes with task execution
* Concomitant vestibular or cerebellar disorders that severely impair motor performance
* Orthopedic or traumatic comorbidities causing significant pain or limiting safe participation during evaluation or intervention
* Cognitive impairment attributable to stroke that precludes effective communication or adherence to the study protocol
* Other neurological or psychiatric disorders judged likely to interfere with motor performance or study outcomes

Where it's running

• National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research, National Health Research Institutes
  Taipei, Taiwan Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Po-Jung Chen, Ph.D.
• Email: pojungchen@nhri.edu.tw
• Phone: +886-5-632-5080

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Walking and Thinking: Brain Activity During Complex Walking After Stroke

  This study looks at how the brain works during tricky walking tasks in people who have had a stroke to understand motor and thinking together in real life movement.

  Recruiting Karolinska Institutet · Solna, Stockholm County · NCT07624630

• Deep phenotyping to explore recovery in young adults after stroke

  This project will test whether a detailed health and sample-collection approach (deep phenotyping) is practical and acceptable for people aged 18–55 who have had a stroke.

  Recruiting The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health · Heidelberg, Victoria and 1 other locations · NCT07019493

• Stem cell therapy for chronic stroke recovery

  This study is testing whether using a patient's own stem cells can help people with long-term stroke recovery feel better and improve their daily functioning.

  Recruiting Phase 2 Hokkaido University Hospital · Sapporo, Hokkaido · NCT06752720

• Exploring how brain stimulation affects movement after stroke

  This study tests if a type of brain stimulation can help improve movement in people who have had a stroke and healthy adults by looking at how timing affects the results.

  Recruiting National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) · Bethesda, Maryland · NCT03288220

• AI-based tools to help diagnose, treat and predict stroke outcomes across multiple hospitals

  This study tests AI-powered tools on real-world stroke patients to see if they can improve pre-hospital triage, diagnosis, and outcome prediction while data stay securely within each hospital.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron Research Institute · Leuven and 6 other locations · NCT07924371

• Web-based therapy using action observation and mirror therapy for arm weakness after stroke

  This trial tests whether a mobile telerehabilitation app delivering action observation therapy (AOT) alone or combined AOT with mirror therapy (AOT-MT) can improve upper limb function in people with subacute stroke.

  Recruiting Chang Gung Memorial Hospital · Taoyuan · NCT07921108

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.