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Peripheral Nerve InjuriesNCT06209801

Mirror Therapy Integrated With Electrical Stimulation for Cortical Modulations

A study testing Mirror therapy, Neuromuscular electrical stimulation and Motor imagery in people with Peripheral Nerve Injuries, run by Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at 2 sites in Taiwan.

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

Peripheral nerve injury is common and can result in loss of sensation and motor function, reduced quality of life, and prolonged time to return to work. Maladaptive cortical reorganization occurs after nerve injury or immobilization and can further impair the recovery process. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 20 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Peripheral Nerve Injuries
What is being tested?
Mirror therapy, Neuromuscular electrical stimulation and Motor imagery
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
32 participants
Where
2 sitesTaiwan
Study dates
1 Mar 2024to 31 Dec 2027
Phase
Interventional
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 20 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • newly diagnosed median or ulnar nerve transection injury of the forearm in the past 6 months
  • sufficient communication in the Chinese language
  • being able to follow instructions
  • muscle atrophy or lack of voluntary contraction over the injured hand, with maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) recorded with surface electromyography (EMG) less than 10% compared to the non-affected hand
  • achieve an average score of 2 or above in the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire-10 (KVIQ-10) for kinesthetic imagery

Who cannot join

  • had central nervous disease
  • had a recent (1 year) history of nerve entrapment syndrome
  • had a history of latent neuropathy, such as diabetes or dialysis

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

Taiwan2 sites

  • National Taiwain Univeristy, Colledge of Medicine, School and Graduate Institude of Physicl Therapy

    Taipei, 100

  • Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

    Taoyuan

Other trials in Taiwan

About this study

Official title: Comparison of the Effects of Mirror Therapy Integrated With Electrical Stimulation and Motor Imagery on Cortical Modulations in Patients With Peripheral Nerve Injury and Healthy Adults

Peripheral nerve injury is common and can result in loss of sensation and motor function, reduced quality of life, and prolonged time to return to work. Maladaptive cortical reorganization occurs after nerve injury or immobilization and can further impair the recovery process. To improve the sensorimotor prognosis of people with peripheral nerve injury, methods such as mirror therapy, motor imagery, and electrical stimulation have been used in addition to usual care. However, no studies have shown the effect of integrating mirror therapy, motor imagery, and electrical stimulation in these individuals. Furthermore, the real-time effect of mirror therapy on cortical activation in this population remains unexplored. This study aims to determine the real-time cortical modulation effects of mirror therapy combined with electrical stimulation in individuals with peripheral nerve injury.

Read the detailed description

Two groups of subjects (a group of peripheral nerve injury group and a group of healthy adults) will perform hand exercises in three randomized conditions: (1) mirror therapy with electrical stimulation and motor imagery, (2) electrical stimulation and motor imagery, and (3) motor imagery. Each participant performs specific sets of two exercises based on the type of nerve injury: (1) Median nerve injury: Picking up and putting down a pen using the thumb and index finger, and picking up and putting down a marble using the thumb and little finger. (2) Ulnar nerve injury: Picking up and putting down a card using the thumb and index finger, and picking up and putting down a marble using the thumb and little finger.(3) Brachial plexus injury: Picking up and putting down an empty cup, and picking up and putting down a pair of pliers. For combined median nerve and ulnar nerve injuries and healthy adult groups, movements corresponding to median nerve injuries are performed. Each experimental condition consists of 20 repetitions, lasting 60 seconds, followed by a 30-second rest between conditions. Relative alpha and beta band power in the sensorimotor cortex will be recorded and analyzed.

Being tested
Mirror therapy, Neuromuscular electrical stimulation, Motor imagery
Keywords
mirror therapy, electrical stimulation, cortical modulation, motor imagery
Medical subject headings
Peripheral Nerve Injuries

What participants receive

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

  • Mirror therapyBehavioural

    60 seconds of intervention

  • Neuromuscular electrical stimulationDevice

    60 seconds of intervention

  • Motor imageryBehavioural

    60 seconds of intervention

Study groups in NCT06209801
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Experimental groupExperimentalIndividuals with peripheral nerve injuries
Receives: Behavioral: Mirror therapy; Device: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation; Behavioral: Motor imagery
Control groupActive comparatorHealthy individuals
Receives: Behavioral: Mirror therapy; Device: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation; Behavioral: Motor imagery

What is being measured

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

  1. Relative alpha-band power in sensorimotor cortex

    Expressed as a percentage

    Measured: 10 minutes after the intervention

  2. Relative beta-band power in sensorimotor cortex

    Expressed as a percentage

    Measured: 10 minutes after the intervention

Timeline

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

  1. First posted18 Jan 2024
  2. Study start1 Mar 2024
  3. Primary completion21 Nov 2025
  4. Study completion31 Dec 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
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
32 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06209801
Sponsor's protocol ID
202301500A3
Status last verified
Mar 2026
First submitted
3 Jan 2024
Last updated
23 Mar 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Rizzo M, Petrini L, Del Percio C, Lopez S, Arendt-Nielsen L, Babiloni C. Mirror visual feedback during unilateral finger movements is related to the desynchronization of cortical electroencephalographic somatomotor alpha rhythms. Psychophysiology. 2022 Dec;59(12):e14116. doi: 10.1111/psyp.14116. Epub 2022 Jun 3.

    PubMed 35657095

  • Bello UM, Kranz GS, Winser SJ, Chan CCH. Neural Processes Underlying Mirror-Induced Visual Illusion: An Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis. Front Hum Neurosci. 2020 Jul 31;14:276. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00276. eCollection 2020.

    PubMed 32848663

  • Binder E, Dovern A, Hesse MD, Ebke M, Karbe H, Saliger J, Fink GR, Weiss PH. Lesion evidence for a human mirror neuron system. Cortex. 2017 May;90:125-137. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.02.008. Epub 2017 Feb 24.

    PubMed 28391066

  • Cengiz B, Vuralli D, Zinnuroglu M, Bayer G, Golmohammadzadeh H, Gunendi Z, Turgut AE, Irfanoglu B, Arikan KB. Analysis of mirror neuron system activation during action observation alone and action observation with motor imagery tasks. Exp Brain Res. 2018 Feb;236(2):497-503. doi: 10.1007/s00221-017-5147-5. Epub 2017 Dec 11.

    PubMed 29230518

  • Scott M, Taylor S, Chesterton P, Vogt S, Eaves DL. Motor imagery during action observation increases eccentric hamstring force: an acute non-physical intervention. Disabil Rehabil. 2018 Jun;40(12):1443-1451. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2017.1300333. Epub 2017 Mar 21.

    PubMed 28322596

  • Zhang JJQ, Fong KNK, Welage N, Liu KPY. The Activation of the Mirror Neuron System during Action Observation and Action Execution with Mirror Visual Feedback in Stroke: A Systematic Review. Neural Plast. 2018 Apr 24;2018:2321045. doi: 10.1155/2018/2321045. eCollection 2018.

    PubMed 29853839

  • Bello UM, Winser SJ, Chan CCH. Role of kinaesthetic motor imagery in mirror-induced visual illusion as intervention in post-stroke rehabilitation. Rev Neurosci. 2020 Aug 27;31(6):659-674. doi: 10.1515/revneuro-2019-0106.

    PubMed 32229682

  • Wang J, Fritzsch C, Bernarding J, Holtze S, Mauritz KH, Brunetti M, Dohle C. A comparison of neural mechanisms in mirror therapy and movement observation therapy. J Rehabil Med. 2013 Apr;45(4):410-3. doi: 10.2340/16501977-1127.

    PubMed 23474778

  • Yang YJ, Jeon EJ, Kim JS, Chung CK. Characterization of kinesthetic motor imagery compared with visual motor imageries. Sci Rep. 2021 Feb 12;11(1):3751. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-82241-0.

    PubMed 33580093

  • Chen YH, Siow TY, Wang JY, Lin SY, Chao YH. Greater Cortical Activation and Motor Recovery Following Mirror Therapy Immediately after Peripheral Nerve Repair of the Forearm. Neuroscience. 2022 Jan 15;481:123-133. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.11.048. Epub 2021 Dec 5.

    PubMed 34875363

  • Lu Y, Liu H, Hua X, Xu JG, Gu YD, Shen Y. Attenuation of brain grey matter volume in brachial plexus injury patients. Neurol Sci. 2016 Jan;37(1):51-56. doi: 10.1007/s10072-015-2356-1. Epub 2015 Aug 9.

    PubMed 26255300

  • Saavedra-Garcia A, Moral-Munoz JA, Lucena-Anton D. Mirror therapy simultaneously combined with electrical stimulation for upper limb motor function recovery after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Rehabil. 2021 Jan;35(1):39-50. doi: 10.1177/0269215520951935. Epub 2020 Aug 24.

    PubMed 32830512

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Mirror therapy, Neuromuscular electrical stimulation and Motor imagery in people with Peripheral Nerve Injuries, run by Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at 2 sites in Taiwan.

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 5 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in Taiwan. 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?

Relative alpha-band power in sensorimotor cortex (time frame: 10 minutes after the intervention). 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?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06209801, which also lists 12 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 23 Mar 2026.

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