StrokeNCT03787693
Virtual Reality Augmented Gait Adaptation in Stroke Survivors
A study testing VR - Virtual Reality in people with Stroke, run by University of Nebraska at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The major problem in stroke survivors that is being addressed in this research project is walking asymmetry, i.e., difference between the legs during walking (e.g. steps on the more affected side are longer than the other). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 21 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Stroke
- What is being tested?
- VR - Virtual Reality
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 42 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2018to 15 Dec 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 21 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- adults > 21 years
- diagnosed with supratentorial ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
- single, unilateral stroke
- stroke incident > 3 months duration.
- ability to stand unsupported without an assistive device
- walk 10m without therapist assistance,
- ability to follow instructions (Folstein Mini-Mental exam score ≥ 24)
Who cannot join
- recurrent stroke
- hip fracture
- myocardial infarction
- < 20/40 corrected vision
- any condition that can affect walking ability to complete the experiment successfully (e.g. neglect, Parkinson's disease, vestibulopathy, peripheral nerve pathology).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Nebraska - Omaha, Biomechanics Research Building
Omaha, Nebraska, 68182
About this study
The major problem in stroke survivors that is being addressed in this research project is walking asymmetry, i.e., difference between the legs during walking (e.g. steps on the more affected side are longer than the other). A potential solution to this problem is using new technology like virtual reality during walking training to make stroke survivors have a better sense of their asymmetry. A second problem that we aim to address in this study is whether asymmetry is accurately felt by the stroke survivors and how we can address it. Our ongoing work on the effects of virtual reality on learning new walking tasks in stroke survivors indicates that virtual reality maybe particularly important for those with walking asymmetry. In this study, we plan to recruit stroke survivors who have such asymmetries during walking and have them learn a new walking task in virtual reality. We will also test the stroke survivors to determine if there is a relationship between how well they learn the new task with their ability to feel asymmetry accurately.
Read the detailed description
Stroke survivors show a deterioration in bilateral coordination during gait that impacts functional mobility and quality of life. Such deterioration includes spatial (e.g. step length) and temporal (e.g. step time) inter-limb asymmetries during walking (gait asymmetry). While restoration of gait symmetry through adaptive exercise as in split-belt training is an answer, it is compounded by deficits of perception that is common in stroke survivors. One solution to this problem is the use of augmented visual feedback such as virtual reality (VR). Such augmented visual inputs during training can help remove sensory conflicts that commonly exist during gait rehabilitation (e.g. static visual input versus motion perception through proprioceptive input during treadmill walking). The PI's ongoing research investigating the effects of VR on gait adaptation in stroke survivors indicates that the impact of VR is dependent on the subject's baseline gait asymmetry such that the effect of VR is potentially higher in those who have large baseline asymmetries. Therefore, in the current proposal, to determine if this hypothesis is correct, chronic stroke survivors who are above and below a specific asymmetry threshold will be recruited and assessed for the effect of VR on a split-belt treadmill paradigm. In the second aim, the effect of VR on the transfer of split-belt adaptation to a preferred walking trial will be assessed. Since stroke survivors also suffer from major perceptual deficits related to symmetry, in the third aim, the effect of VR on gait adaptation on four groups of stroke survivors will be analyzed those with deficits only in perceiving visual asymmetry, only gait asymmetry, both deficits or neither.
- Conditions
- Stroke
- Being tested
- VR - Virtual Reality
- Keywords
- hemiparesis, gait, perception, sensory, vision, coordination
- Medical subject headings
- Stroke, Paresis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
VR - Virtual RealityBehavioural
Subjects in the experimental group will perform the split-belt task in a VR environment
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Stroke Symmetric Non-VR | No intervention | In this control arm, stroke survivors who walk symmetrically will walk on a split-belt treadmill in a non-virtual reality environment. |
| Stroke Symmetric VR | Experimental | In this experimental arm, stroke survivors who walk symmetrically will walk on a split-belt treadmill in a VR - virtual reality environment. Receives: Behavioral: VR - Virtual Reality |
| Stroke Asymmetric Non-VR | No intervention | In this control arm, stroke survivors who walk asymmetrically will walk on a split-belt treadmill in a non-virtual reality environment. |
| Stroke Asymmetric VR | Experimental | In this experimental arm, stroke survivors who walk asymmetrically will walk on a split-belt treadmill in a VR - virtual reality environment. Receives: Behavioral: VR - Virtual Reality |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Step-length Symmetry Index
Difference between the length of a step taken by one limb from the other limb
Measured: 1 day
Step-time Symmetry Index
Difference between the time of a step taken by one limb from the other limb
Measured: 1 day
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Dec 2018
- Study start1 Jul 2018
- Primary completion15 Dec 2025
- Study completion15 Dec 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for StrokeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Chronic stroke survivors will be screened and assigned to either a Symmetric or Asymmetric group based on inter-limb step length and/or step time asymmetry at baseline. Each subject will be randomly assigned to perform a split-belt adaptation protocol in either a VR or a Non-VR environment.
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Nebraska
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Mukul Mukherjee, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Nebraska
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03787693
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 0291-14-EP
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Dec 2018
- Last updated
- 16 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Virtual Reality Augmented Gait Adaptation in Stroke Survivors
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03787693
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 0291-14-EP
- Conditions
- Stroke
- Keywords
- hemiparesis, gait, perception, sensory, vision, coordination
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of NebraskaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Dec 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 26 Dec 2018 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The major problem in stroke survivors that is being addressed in this research project is walking asymmetry, i.e., difference between the legs during walking (e.g. steps on the more affected side are longer than the other). A potential solution to this problem is using new technology like virtual reality during walking training to make stroke survivors have a better sense of their asymmetry. A second problem that we aim to address in this study is whether asymmetry is accurately felt by the stroke survivors and how we can address it. Our ongoing work on the effects of virtual reality on learning new walking tasks in stroke survivors indicates that virtual reality maybe particularly important for those with walking asymmetry. In this study, we plan to recruit stroke survivors who have such asymmetries during walking and have them learn a new walking task in virtual reality. We will also test the stroke survivors to determine if there is a relationship between how well they learn the new task with their ability to feel asymmetry accurately.
Detailed description
Stroke survivors show a deterioration in bilateral coordination during gait that impacts functional mobility and quality of life. Such deterioration includes spatial (e.g. step length) and temporal (e.g. step time) inter-limb asymmetries during walking (gait asymmetry). While restoration of gait symmetry through adaptive exercise as in split-belt training is an answer, it is compounded by deficits of perception that is common in stroke survivors. One solution to this problem is the use of augmented visual feedback such as virtual reality (VR). Such augmented visual inputs during training can help remove sensory conflicts that commonly exist during gait rehabilitation (e.g. static visual input versus motion perception through proprioceptive input during treadmill walking). The PI's ongoing research investigating the effects of VR on gait adaptation in stroke survivors indicates that the impact of VR is dependent on the subject's baseline gait asymmetry such that the effect of VR is potentially higher in those who have large baseline asymmetries. Therefore, in the current proposal, to determine if this hypothesis is correct, chronic stroke survivors who are above and below a specific asymmetry threshold will be recruited and assessed for the effect of VR on a split-belt treadmill paradigm. In the second aim, the effect of VR on the transfer of split-belt adaptation to a preferred walking trial will be assessed. Since stroke survivors also suffer from major perceptual deficits related to symmetry, in the third aim, the effect of VR on gait adaptation on four groups of stroke survivors will be analyzed those with deficits only in perceiving visual asymmetry, only gait asymmetry, both deficits or neither.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 4
- Model description
- Chronic stroke survivors will be screened and assigned to either a Symmetric or Asymmetric group based on inter-limb step length and/or step time asymmetry at baseline. Each subject will be randomly assigned to perform a split-belt adaptation protocol in either a VR or a Non-VR environment.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Stroke Symmetric Non-VR | No intervention | –In this control arm, stroke survivors who walk symmetrically will walk on a split-belt treadmill in a non-virtual reality environment. |
| Stroke Symmetric VR | Experimental | Behavioral: VR - Virtual RealityIn this experimental arm, stroke survivors who walk symmetrically will walk on a split-belt treadmill in a VR - virtual reality environment. |
| Stroke Asymmetric Non-VR | No intervention | –In this control arm, stroke survivors who walk asymmetrically will walk on a split-belt treadmill in a non-virtual reality environment. |
| Stroke Asymmetric VR | Experimental | Behavioral: VR - Virtual RealityIn this experimental arm, stroke survivors who walk asymmetrically will walk on a split-belt treadmill in a VR - virtual reality environment. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 21 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- adults > 21 years
- diagnosed with supratentorial ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
- single, unilateral stroke
- stroke incident > 3 months duration.
- ability to stand unsupported without an assistive device
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- recurrent stroke
- hip fracture
- myocardial infarction
- < 20/40 corrected vision
- any condition that can affect walking ability to complete the experiment successfully (e.g. neglect, Parkinson's disease, vestibulopathy, peripheral nerve pathology).
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| VR - Virtual RealitySubjects in the experimental group will perform the split-belt task in a VR environment | Behavioural | Stroke Asymmetric VR, Stroke Symmetric VR |
Primary outcome
Step-length Symmetry Index
Time frame: 1 day
Difference between the length of a step taken by one limb from the other limb
Step-time Symmetry Index
Time frame: 1 day
Difference between the time of a step taken by one limb from the other limb
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Mukul Mukherjee, PhD principal investigator
University of Nebraska
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing VR - Virtual Reality in people with Stroke, run by University of Nebraska at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Step-length Symmetry Index (time frame: 1 day). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Apr 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 31 Oct 2026.