Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder PainNCT06823206
Effects of Movement Representation Techniques With Sensorimotor Training for Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain
A study testing Sensorimotor training with movement representation techniques in people with Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of 12 weeks of sensorimotor training with movement representation techniques for reducing pain intensity in people with rotator cuff related shoulder pain, relative to standard care. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 50 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain
- What is being tested?
- Sensorimotor training with movement representation techniques
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 122 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 1 Mar 2025to 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 50 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Aged 50 or above
- Presence of shoulder pain for more than three months
- Clinical test showed 3/5 positive tests (painful arc, resisted external rotation, Neer test, Kennedy-Hawkins test, and Jobe test), and the intensity of pain being provoked should be ≥ 3/10 on an 11-point numeric pain rating scale (NPRS)
- Structural changes of rotator cuff tendons using MRI or ultrasound imaging
Who cannot join
- History of trauma
- Shoulder fracture, glenohumeral osteoarthritis, or arthritis in the acromioclavicular joint
- Clinically suspected labrum lesion
- Previous shoulder surgery or dislocation
- Clinical signs of anterior shoulder instability
- Clinical signs of frozen shoulders
- Previous clinical treatment or corticosteroid injection for a shoulder injury within the last 12 months
- Symptoms referred from or related to the spine; and (9) other competing diagnoses (i.e., rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, neurological disorders, fibromyalgia, or psychiatric illness).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Hong Kong1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong
Annie Leong, 85227666707, annie-ht.leong@polyu.edu.hk
About this study
Official title: Effects of Movement Representation Techniques With Sensorimotor Training for Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain: a Randomised Controlled Trial
The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of 12 weeks of sensorimotor training with movement representation techniques for reducing pain intensity in people with rotator cuff related shoulder pain, relative to standard care. Besides, the secondary aim of this study is to explore the mechanisms underlying the effects of central mechanism treatment in people with rotator cuff related shoulder pain. A total of 122 older adults aged 50 or above with the presence of shoulder pain for more than three months will be recruited and randomized into 12-weeks of movement representation techniques with sensorimotor training vs. standard care. Shoulder pain and disability Index (SPADI), changes in primary motor cortex (M1) using brain MRI, changes in subacromial space using ultrasound imaging, Widespread Pain Index (WPI), Pain Catastrophising Scale (PCS), and Fear-avoidance Beliefs questionnaires (FABQ) will be assessed at baseline and 12-week post intervention.
- Conditions
- Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain
- Being tested
- Sensorimotor training with movement representation techniques
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Sensorimotor training with movement representation techniquesOther
Sensorimotor training will be implemented with movement representation techniques using a standardized retraining sequence of a shoulder control exercise during arm elevation with 3 phases: Phase 1: Action Observation Training; Phase 2: Mirror therapy; and Phase 3: Sensorimotor training of the involved arm. Each session will last 60 minutes, with one supervised intervention session over the 12 weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control | No intervention | Wait-list control |
| Intervention | Experimental | Not described Receives: Other: Sensorimotor training with movement representation techniques |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Pain intensity
Pain will be assessed using the pain sub-score of the Chinese Version of the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index. It is a validated self-administered questionnaire used to evaluate upper limb symptoms and functional limitations during daily activities. The questionnaire consists of 13 items with two subscales, i.e., pain intensity (five items) and disability (eight items), and each subscale-item will be summed to obtain a pain-score and a disability-score. The total of all items will be summed to obtain the final scores for each domain ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more pain and disability. In the present study, the pain sub-score will be used as the measure of average pain intensity.
Measured: Baseline and 12-weeks post-intervention
Secondary outcomes (1)
Cortical thickness in the primary motor cortex (M1) using brain MRI
The brain structure will be measured using structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on a 3.0 T Siemens Prisma scanner. During the resting-state scan, the participants will be instructed to rest with their eyes closed while remaining stationary for 30 minutes. The regional cortical thickness of the brain region, the primary motor cortex (M1), will be extracted from T1-weighted MRI images.
Measured: Baseline and 12 weeks post-intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 Feb 2025
- Study start1 Mar 2025
- Primary completionDec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder PainStudies 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 122 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, LEONG Hio Teng Annie, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06823206
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HSEARS20231205001
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 9 Jan 2025
- Last updated
- 17 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of Movement Representation Techniques With Sensorimotor Training for Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain: a Randomised Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06823206
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HSEARS20231205001
- Conditions
- Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 122 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 12 Feb 2025 (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 aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of 12 weeks of sensorimotor training with movement representation techniques for reducing pain intensity in people with rotator cuff related shoulder pain, relative to standard care. Besides, the secondary aim of this study is to explore the mechanisms underlying the effects of central mechanism treatment in people with rotator cuff related shoulder pain. A total of 122 older adults aged 50 or above with the presence of shoulder pain for more than three months will be recruited and randomized into 12-weeks of movement representation techniques with sensorimotor training vs. standard care. Shoulder pain and disability Index (SPADI), changes in primary motor cortex (M1) using brain MRI, changes in subacromial space using ultrasound imaging, Widespread Pain Index (WPI), Pain Catastrophising Scale (PCS), and Fear-avoidance Beliefs questionnaires (FABQ) will be assessed at baseline and 12-week post intervention.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control | No intervention | –Wait-list control |
| Intervention | Experimental | Other: Sensorimotor training with movement representation techniques |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 50 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Aged 50 or above
- Presence of shoulder pain for more than three months
- Clinical test showed 3/5 positive tests (painful arc, resisted external rotation, Neer test, Kennedy-Hawkins test, and Jobe test), and the intensity of pain being provoked should be ≥ 3/10 on an 11-point numeric pain rating scale (NPRS)
- Structural changes of rotator cuff tendons using MRI or ultrasound imaging
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- History of trauma
- Shoulder fracture, glenohumeral osteoarthritis, or arthritis in the acromioclavicular joint
- Clinically suspected labrum lesion
- Previous shoulder surgery or dislocation
- Clinical signs of anterior shoulder instability
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sensorimotor training with movement representation techniquesSensorimotor training will be implemented with movement representation techniques using a standardized retraining sequence of a shoulder control exercise during arm elevation with 3 phases: Phase 1: Action Observation Training; Phase 2: Mirror therapy; and Phase 3: Sensorimotor training of the involved arm. Each session will last 60 minutes, with one supervised intervention session over the 12 weeks. | Other | Intervention |
Primary outcome
Pain intensity
Time frame: Baseline and 12-weeks post-intervention
Pain will be assessed using the pain sub-score of the Chinese Version of the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index. It is a validated self-administered questionnaire used to evaluate upper limb symptoms and functional limitations during daily activities. The questionnaire consists of 13 items with two subscales, i.e., pain intensity (five items) and disability (eight items), and each subscale-item will be summed to obtain a pain-score and a disability-score. The total of all items will be summed to obtain the final scores for each domain ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more pain and disability. In the present study, the pain sub-score will be used as the measure of average pain intensity.
1 secondary outcome
Cortical thickness in the primary motor cortex (M1) using brain MRI
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks post-intervention
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Sensorimotor training with movement representation techniques in people with Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
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 8 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 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 1 site in Hong Kong. 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?
Contact Annie LEONG (85227666707, annie-ht.leong@polyu.edu.hk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Pain intensity (time frame: Baseline and 12-weeks post-intervention). 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 17 Sep 2026.