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StrokeMECHANISTNCT04165616

Motor rECovery witH eArly imagiNg In STroke

An observational study of Stroke, run by Northwestern University at 3 sites in United States.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study will contribute to the field of stroke rehabilitation research by expanding the investigator's understanding of the neural mechanisms responsible for the development and expression of abnormal flexion synergy, a primary movement impairment due to stroke. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 85 years
Conditions the study is for
Stroke
How many people
120 participants
Where
3 sitesUnited States
Study dates
21 Jun 2022to 30 Aug 2027
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 18 to 85 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Patients will be recruited from the in-patient stroke unit based upon the study inclusion criteria.

Who may be able to join

  • Stroke within the middle cerebral artery distribution based on brain MRI done within 48 hours of admission
  • 18 to 85 years old
  • Isolated motor deficits (hemiparesis) without significant aphasia, visual disturbances, or neglect based on the following scores on the NIH Stroke Scale: 1a (level of consciousness) = 0- Alert; keenly responsive. 1b (LOC questions) = 0- Asked month and age; Answers both correctly. 1c (LOC commands) = 0- Asked to open/close eyes, grasp/release hand; Performs both correctly. 2 (Best Gaze) = 0- Horizontal eye movements; Normal. 5 (Motor Arm) = 1, 2, 3, or 4- Arm placed at 90 (sitting) or 45 (supine), Drift, Some effort, No effort against gravity, or No movement. 7 (Limb Ataxia) = 0- Finger-nose-finger or heel-shin test; Absent. 8 (Sensory) = 0 or 1- Pin prick; Normal or Mild-to-moderate sensory loss. 9 (Best Language) = 0 or 1- Describe picture; No or Mild-to-moderate Aphasia. 11 (Extinction and Inattention) = 0 or 1- No abnormality or Inattention to one modality.

Who cannot join

  • Premorbid disability or sensorimotor impairment
  • Comorbidity medically contraindicating the administration of subsequent MRI scanning and motor assessments
  • Pain or hypersensitivity limiting motor assessment
  • Limb edema limiting motor assessment

Trial locations and contacts

3 sites in 1 country.

United States3 sites
  • Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611

  • Northwestern Memorial Hospital

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611

  • Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: MECHANIST: Motor rECovery witH eArly imagiNg In STroke

This study will contribute to the field of stroke rehabilitation research by expanding the investigator's understanding of the neural mechanisms responsible for the development and expression of abnormal flexion synergy, a primary movement impairment due to stroke. The study will longitudinally evaluate motor tract morphology and motor impairment/function in an attempt to develop early neuroimaging-based predictors of the development of flexion synergy and its impact on reaching and hand recovery (6 month). The study will utilize quantitative motor testing (kinematics and kinetics) to measure motor impairment and reaching and hand function. Both neuroimaging and quantitative motor testing will be conducted within 96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months-post stroke. The knowledge gained by this study will provide crucial structural and functional neuroimaging evidence that demonstrates the timeline of progressive ipsi- and contralesional motor pathway (including bulbospinal pathways) changes and the associated development of flexion synergy that grossly impacts reaching and hand function in individuals with moderate to severe stroke.

Conditions
Stroke
Medical subject headings
Stroke

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT04165616
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Individuals with strokeNot described

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in fractional anisotropy

    Fractional anisotropy is a quantitative measure of fiber density, axonal diameter, and myelination in the corticofugal, corticoreticulospinal, and corticorubrospinal tracts derived from the diffusion tensor imaging dataset.

    Measured: Change in fractional anisotropy will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

  2. Change in complexity

    Complexity (alpha) is an index of the non-Gaussian diffusion dynamics within the corticofugal, corticoreticulospinal, and corticorubrospinal tracts derived from the diffusion tensor imaging dataset.

    Measured: Change in complexity will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

  3. Change in mean diffusivity

    Mean diffusivity is a measure of neural tract integrity quantifying the rotationally invariant magnitude of water diffusion within neural tissue defined by the 3-dimensional diffusion tensor.

    Measured: Change in mean diffusivity will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

  4. Change in radial diffusivity

    Radial diffusivity is a measure of neural membrane integrity quantifying the average of the two small-axis values of water diffusion within neural tissue defined by the 3-dimensional diffusion tensor.

    Measured: Change in radial diffusivity will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

  5. Change in axial diffusivity

    Axial diffusivity is a measure of neural tract direction quantifying the long-axis value of water diffusion within neural tissue defined by the 3-dimensional diffusion tensor.

    Measured: Change in axial diffusivity will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

  6. Change in maximum reaching distance

    Quantitative evaluation of reaching accounting for the expression of both flexion synergy and weakness by calculating distance from reaching kinematics data during ballistic outward reaches against various abduction loads.

    Measured: Change in maximum reaching distance will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

  7. Change in maximum hand aperture

    Quantitative evaluation of hand opening accounting for the expression of both flexion synergy and weakness by calculating the area of a pentagon formed by the finger tips from hand kinematics data obtained at various abduction loads.

    Measured: Change in maximum hand aperture will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

  8. Change in maximum grasp force

    Quantitative evaluation of hand closing accounting for the expression of both flexion synergy and weakness by calculating the mean surface grasp force of the hand at various abduction loads.

    Measured: Change in maximum grasp force will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

  9. Predictive capacity of diffusor tensor imaging (DTI) for 6-month reaching and hand performance

    Changes in structural morphology measured acutely will be evaluated as early predictors for chronic reaching and hand performance. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis will be used to evaluate the discrimination potential of each acute imaging measure in predicting chronic moderate versus severe motor impairment for each of the reaching and hand performance measures.

    Measured: Changes in structural morphology from 48 hours to 2-weeks post-stroke will be evaluated as early predictors for the 6-month reaching and hand performance outcomes including ROC curve analysis.

  10. Relationship between DTI and quantitative motor testing

    The relationship between each structural morphology metric and each quantitative motor testing metric will be evaluated.

    Measured: Relationships between metrics will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Change in Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment

    Qualitative and clinical assessment of general motor impairment of arm following stroke. The scale evaluates movement impairment of the arm through observation. The scale ranges from 0-66 points with 66 indicating the best score.

    Measured: Change in Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

  2. Change in Action Research Arm Test

    Qualitative and clinical assessment of activity limitation (function) of the arm following stroke. The scale focusses on reaching, grasping, and releasing objects of various sizes. The scale ranges from 0-57 with 57 indicating the best score.

    Measured: Change in Action Research Arm Test will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

  3. Change in Stroke Impact Scale

    Structured interview to assess domains of the ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) in individuals following stroke. The domains include self-reported physical problems, memory and thinking, control of emotions, communication, daily activities, home and community mobility, the affected hand, participation and life roles, and global recovery. Each domain score is transformed to a scale of 0-100 with 100 being the best score.

    Measured: Change in Stroke Impact Scale will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted18 Nov 2019
  2. Study start21 Jun 2022
  3. Primary completion13 Jul 2026
  4. Study completion30 Aug 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
120 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04165616
Sponsor's protocol ID
STU00210349
Other IDs
R01NS105759
Acronym
MECHANIST
Status last verified
Aug 2026
First submitted
30 Oct 2019
Last updated
2 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Final research data will be shared openly and timely in accordance with NIH Data Sharing Policy (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data\_sharing/). Data sharing will occur through the primary repositories of Northwestern University DigitalHub (https://prism.northwestern.edu/) and Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/). Data will be exported from the internal RedCap study data base in spreadsheet format and will be deidentified and coded. Data will be available through speaking engagements and publications, presentations at scientific symposia and seminars. Data sharing in the above repositories will be phased in time with acceptance for publication of the primary outcome paper near the end of the fifth year and then with each subsequent publication. Publications will include DOIs for the data repositories.

Publications

  • Karbasforoushan H, Cohen-Adad J, Dewald JPA. Brainstem and spinal cord MRI identifies altered sensorimotor pathways post-stroke. Nat Commun. 2019 Aug 6;10(1):3524. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-11244-3.

    PubMed 31388003
  • McPherson JG, Chen A, Ellis MD, Yao J, Heckman CJ, Dewald JPA. Progressive recruitment of contralesional cortico-reticulospinal pathways drives motor impairment post stroke. J Physiol. 2018 Apr 1;596(7):1211-1225. doi: 10.1113/JP274968. Epub 2018 Feb 19.

    PubMed 29457651
  • Ellis MD, Carmona C, Drogos J, Dewald JPA. Progressive Abduction Loading Therapy with Horizontal-Plane Viscous Resistance Targeting Weakness and Flexion Synergy to Treat Upper Limb Function in Chronic Hemiparetic Stroke: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Front Neurol. 2018 Feb 19;9:71. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00071. eCollection 2018.

    PubMed 29515514

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Stroke, run by Northwestern University at 3 sites 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 3 inclusion and 4 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 3 sites 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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?

Change in fractional anisotropy (time frame: Change in fractional anisotropy will be modeled over 4 time points (48-96 hours-, 2 weeks-, 3 months-, and 6 months post-stroke).). The study lists 10 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04165616, which also lists 3 linked publications.

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 2 Sep 2026.

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