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Rheumatoid ArthritisNCT05727488

SARAH Exercise Program in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

A study testing Exercise in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, run by Izmir Katip Celebi University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the SARAH home exercise program to be applied for 12 weeks on wrist proprioception and hand functions in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for
Rheumatoid Arthritis
What is being tested?
Exercise
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
49 participants
Where
1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates
16 Nov 2023to 26 Jun 2024
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 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • RA diagnosis according to 2010 ACR/EULAR RA criteria
  • Being between the ages of 18-65
  • Being able to follow Turkish instructions
  • Volunteering to participate in the study

Who cannot join

  • Being in an acute disease exacerbation period
  • Ongoing physiotherapy/occupational/exercise treatment regarding hands within the last 6 months
  • History of steroid injection, surgery, or trauma to the upper extremity in the last 6 months

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
  • Izmir Katip Celebi University

    Izmir

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Official title: Investigating the Effects of SARAH Exercise Program on Proprioception and Hand Functions in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the SARAH home exercise program to be applied for 12 weeks on wrist proprioception and hand functions in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Read the detailed description

Finger/hand/wrist joints can be affected in the early period in patients with RA, and as the disease progresses, it can significantly limit the patient's functionality. Damage to articular and periarticular structures seen in inflammatory arthritis may affect the sense of proprioception by destroying mechanoreceptors located in these areas. Hand functions may worsen as a result of the worsening of the sense of proprioception, which can be defined as being aware of body parts.

SARAH (Strengthening and Stretching for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand) home exercise program, which is a widely preferred approach in the case of hand involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), includes exercises to increase hand-wrist strength and mobility. Although the effectiveness of this program on pain, muscle strength, and range of motion has been demonstrated in large patient groups, its effect on proprioception and hand functions, which may be caused by inflammatory arthritis, has not been studied. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the SARAH home exercise program on wrist proprioception and hand functions in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Being tested
Exercise
Keywords
Hand, Proprioception, Exercise
Medical subject headings
Arthritis, Rheumatoid, Motor Activity

What participants receive

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

  • ExerciseOther

    Participants will be asked to practice home exercises every day of the week for 12 weeks. The SARAH exercise program consists of 7 mobility and 4 strengthening exercises. Progress will be made by increasing the repetitions and duration of the exercises every week.

Study groups in NCT05727488
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
ExerciseExperimentalThe SARAH exercise program will be delivered by sending messages and video instructions via a freeware and cross-platform messaging service (WhatsApp Messenger) on a weekly basis.
Receives: Other: Exercise
ControlNo interventionPatients in the control group will not receive any exercise intervention. They will only maintain their routine medical treatment.

What is being measured

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

  1. Change in Wrist Joint Position Sense

    Wrist joint position sense will be evaluated with joint position sense goniometry. Joint position sense is measured by the ability to actively repeat a predetermined target angle. During the measurement, the wrist of the participant will passively be brought to the target angle and be kept in this position for three seconds. The participant will be asked to keep this position in his/her memory, then the wrist will passively be brought to the starting position. Then, the participant will be requested to bring her/his hand actively to these predetermined position. Wrist movements will be determined as three repetitive measurements for flexion, extension, radial deviation, and ulnar deviation directions.

    Measured: At baseline and twelve weeks later

  2. Change in Hand Performance

    Hand performance will be evaluated Nine-Hole Peg Test.

    Measured: At baseline and twelve weeks later

  3. Change in Grip Strength

    Hand grip strength will be evaluated with a hand-dynamometer.

    Measured: At baseline and twelve weeks later

  4. Change in Pinch Strength

    Pinch strength will be evaluated by using a pinchmeter.

    Measured: At baseline and twelve weeks later

  5. Change in Self-reported Hand Functions

    Duruoz Hand Index and The Measures of Activity Performance of the Hand Questionnaire will be used for subjective assessment of hand functions. Higher scores in both questionnaires reflect poorer hand functions.

    Measured: At baseline and twelve weeks later

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Change in Pain

    Numeric rating scale (NRS) will be used for pain assessment. NRS is scored between 0-10 and, higher scores indicate higher level of pain.

    Measured: At baseline and twelve weeks later

  2. Change in Morning Stiffness

    Morning stiffness related to the hand/wrist of the patients will be questioned by using Numeric Rating Scale (0-10) in terms of duration and severity. Higher scores indicate worse morning stiffness.

    Measured: At baseline and twelve weeks later

  3. Change in Disease Activity

    Disease Activity 28 C-Reactive Protein (DAS28-CRP) will be used to evaluate disease activity.

    Measured: At baseline and twelve weeks later

  4. Change in General Functioning

    Health Assessments Questionnaire-Disability Index, which is a self-report tool and has 20 items, will be used to evaluate the general functioning. All items are scored between 0 and 3. All scores are summed and divided by 20 to obtain a total score (0-3). Higher scores indicate a worse functional status.

    Measured: At baseline and twelve weeks later

Timeline

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

  1. First posted14 Feb 2023
  2. Study start16 Nov 2023
  3. Primary completion26 Jun 2024
  4. Study completion26 Jun 2024

Resources

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
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
49 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05727488
Sponsor's protocol ID
SARAHRA
Status last verified
Jul 2024
First submitted
27 Jan 2023
Last updated
11 Jul 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Data will be available upon reasonable requests.

Publications

  • Figus FA, Piga M, Azzolin I, McConnell R, Iagnocco A. Rheumatoid arthritis: Extra-articular manifestations and comorbidities. Autoimmun Rev. 2021 Apr;20(4):102776. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2021.102776. Epub 2021 Feb 17.

    PubMed 33609792
  • Kopruluoglu M, Naz I, Solmaz D, Akar S. Hand functions and joint position sense in patients with psoriatic arthritis- a comparison with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy controls. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2022 May;95:105640. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2022.105640. Epub 2022 Apr 4.

    PubMed 35405540
  • Bearne LM, Coomer AF, Hurley MV. Upper limb sensorimotor function and functional performance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Disabil Rehabil. 2007 Jul 15;29(13):1035-9. doi: 10.1080/09638280600929128.

    PubMed 17612988
  • Smolen JS, Aletaha D, McInnes IB. Rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet. 2016 Oct 22;388(10055):2023-2038. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30173-8. Epub 2016 May 3.

    PubMed 27156434
  • Williams MA, Srikesavan C, Heine PJ, Bruce J, Brosseau L, Hoxey-Thomas N, Lamb SE. Exercise for rheumatoid arthritis of the hand. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Jul 31;7(7):CD003832. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003832.pub3.

    PubMed 30063798
  • Heine PJ, Williams MA, Williamson E, Bridle C, Adams J, O'Brien A, Evans D, Lamb SE; SARAH Team. Development and delivery of an exercise intervention for rheumatoid arthritis: strengthening and stretching for rheumatoid arthritis of the hand (SARAH) trial. Physiotherapy. 2012 Jun;98(2):121-30. doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2011.03.001.

    PubMed 22507362
  • Lamb SE, Williamson EM, Heine PJ, Adams J, Dosanjh S, Dritsaki M, Glover MJ, Lord J, McConkey C, Nichols V, Rahman A, Underwood M, Williams MA; Strengthening and Stretching for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand Trial (SARAH) Trial Team. Exercises to improve function of the rheumatoid hand (SARAH): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2015 Jan 31;385(9966):421-9. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60998-3. Epub 2014 Oct 9.

    PubMed 25308290
  • Alghadir AH, Anwer S, Iqbal A, Iqbal ZA. Test-retest reliability, validity, and minimum detectable change of visual analog, numerical rating, and verbal rating scales for measurement of osteoarthritic knee pain. J Pain Res. 2018 Apr 26;11:851-856. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S158847. eCollection 2018.

    PubMed 29731662
  • Jensen Hansen IM, Asmussen Andreasen R, van Bui Hansen MN, Emamifar A. The Reliability of Disease Activity Score in 28 Joints-C-Reactive Protein Might Be Overestimated in a Subgroup of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients, When the Score Is Solely Based on Subjective Parameters: A Cross-sectional, Exploratory Study. J Clin Rheumatol. 2017 Mar;23(2):102-106. doi: 10.1097/RHU.0000000000000469.

    PubMed 27870649
  • Duruoz MT, Poiraudeau S, Fermanian J, Menkes CJ, Amor B, Dougados M, Revel M. Development and validation of a rheumatoid hand functional disability scale that assesses functional handicap. J Rheumatol. 1996 Jul;23(7):1167-72.

    PubMed 8823687
  • Earhart GM, Cavanaugh JT, Ellis T, Ford MP, Foreman KB, Dibble L. The 9-hole PEG test of upper extremity function: average values, test-retest reliability, and factors contributing to performance in people with Parkinson disease. J Neurol Phys Ther. 2011 Dec;35(4):157-63. doi: 10.1097/NPT.0b013e318235da08.

    PubMed 22020457
  • Hamilton GF, McDonald C, Chenier TC. Measurement of grip strength: validity and reliability of the sphygmomanometer and jamar grip dynamometer. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1992;16(5):215-9. doi: 10.2519/jospt.1992.16.5.215.

    PubMed 18796752
  • Haidar SG, Kumar D, Bassi RS, Deshmukh SC. Average versus maximum grip strength: which is more consistent? J Hand Surg Br. 2004 Feb;29(1):82-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsb.2003.09.012.

    PubMed 14734079
  • Halpern CA, Fernandez JE. The effect of wrist and arm postures on peak pinch strength. J Hum Ergol (Tokyo). 1996 Dec;25(2):115-30.

    PubMed 9735592
  • Leung YY, Tillett W, Hojgaard P, Orbai AM, Holland R, Mathew AJ, Goel N, Chau J, Lindsay CA, Ogdie A, Coates LC, Christensen R, Mease PJ, Strand V, Gladman DD. Test-retest Reliability for HAQ-DI and SF-36 PF for the Measurement of Physical Function in Psoriatic Arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2021 Oct;48(10):1547-1551. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.210175. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

    PubMed 33858982

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Exercise in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, run by Izmir Katip Celebi University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

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 4 inclusion and 3 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 11 Jul 2024. 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 Turkey (Türkiye). 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?

Change in Wrist Joint Position Sense (time frame: At baseline and twelve weeks later). The study lists 5 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 NCT05727488, which also lists 15 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 11 Jul 2024.

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Clinical Trial NCT05727488 | AzTrials