Shoulder DysfunctionNCT07240129
Effect of Graded Motor Imagery on Shoulder Dysfunction Post Mastectomy
A study testing Graded Motor Imagery (GMI) and Physical therapy program in people with Shoulder Dysfunction, run by Cairo University at 1 site in Egypt.
Trial summary
One of the most common complications after breast cancer surgery is a functional limitation of the upper body. Up to 67% of breast cancer patients experience arm or shoulder impairment, including pain, numbness, loss of strength, and reduced ROM, after surgery. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 35 to 55 years, women only
- Conditions the study is for
- Shoulder Dysfunction
- What is being tested?
- Graded Motor Imagery (GMI) and Physical therapy program
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 54 participants
- Where
- 1 siteEgypt
- Study dates
- 30 Jun 2025to 30 Jan 2026
- 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 35 to 55 years
- Women only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Age range of 35 to 55 years.
- All patients are post-mastectomized unilaterally.
- Female patients only.
- Patients have shoulder ROM restriction.
- Patients have shoulder pain more than 3 months (chronic).
Who cannot join
- Having double mastectomy.
- Psychopathological disorders.
- Having other orthopedic problems (e.g. tendinitis, dislocation, osteoarthritis, referred pain to shoulder).
- Motor problems (e.g. tremor, dyskinesia).
- Metastasis.
- Visual impairment such that they could not read unaided or with their reading glasses.
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- Having previously received GMI treatment.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Having neurological problems as hemiplegia.
- Patients with lymphedema
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
One of the most common complications after breast cancer surgery is a functional limitation of the upper body. Up to 67% of breast cancer patients experience arm or shoulder impairment, including pain, numbness, loss of strength, and reduced ROM, after surgery.
Graded motor imagery is effective in reducing pain interference with function using a graded sequence of strategies including left/right judgements (implicit motor imagery), imagined movements (explicit motor imagery) and mirror therapy.
Read the detailed description
54 female patients who have shoulder dysfunction post-mastectomy will participate in this study. Their ages will be ranged 35 to 55 years.
In this study the patients will be randomly assigned into two equal groups (27 patients for each group):
- Group A (study group): This group includes 27 patients who will receive graded motor imagery (GMI) along with the conventional physiotherapy (It will include exercise like codman's pendulum exercises in flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, and circular motion, active assisted ROM exercises with a wand, capsular stretching, wall ladder, and shoulder wheel exercises). GMI is consists of a three-step process. Each step of will be carried out for two weeks, for 30 minutes on two separate days, for total 6 weeks.
- Group B (control group):
This group includes 27 patients who will receive conventional physiotherapy treatment. It will include exercise like codman's pendulum exercises in flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, and circular motion, active assisted ROM exercises with a wand, capsular stretching, wall ladder, and shoulder wheel exercises, 2 times / week for 6 weeks.
- Conditions
- Shoulder Dysfunction
- Being tested
- Graded Motor Imagery (GMI), Physical therapy program
- Keywords
- Graded Motor Imagery, Post Mastectomy
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Graded Motor Imagery (GMI)Other
- Left/right judgements: It includes left/right judgments of photographs that depict the affected area.
- Imagined movements: Movement visualizations will be performed.
- Mirror therapy:
It includes observation of the movements of unaffected body part in the mirror, 2 times / week for 6 weeks.
Physical therapy programOther
Also called A group of exercises
It will include exercise like codman's pendulum exercises in flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, and circular motion, active assisted ROM exercises with a wand, capsular stretching, wall ladder, and shoulder wheel exercises, 2 times / week for 6 weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Group A (study group) | Active comparator | This group includes 27 patients who will receive graded motor imagery (GMI) along with the conventional physiotherapy (It will include exercise like codman's pendulum exercises in flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, and circular motion, active assisted ROM exercises with a wand, capsular stretching, wall ladder, and shoulder wheel exercises). GMI is consists of a three-step process. Each step of will be carried out for two weeks, for 30 minutes on two separate days, for total 6 weeks Receives: Other: Graded Motor Imagery (GMI); Other: Physical therapy program |
| Group B (control group) | Placebo comparator | This group includes 27 patients who will receive conventional physiotherapy treatment. It will include exercise like codman's pendulum exercises in flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, and circular motion, active assisted ROM exercises with a wand, capsular stretching, wall ladder, and shoulder wheel exercises, 2 times / week for 6 weeks Receives: Other: Physical therapy program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Visual analog scale
A validated, subjective measure for acute and chronic pain. Scores are recorded by making a handwritten mark on a 10-cm line that represents a continuum between 0 means "no pain" and 10 means "worst pain."
Measured: From baseline to 6 weeks
Smartphone clinometer application
The smartphone clinometer application has excellent agreement with a goniometer-based gold standard for measurement of shoulder ROM in both healthy subjects and symptomatic patients.
Measured: From baseline to 6 weeks
Secondary outcomes (2)
Shoulder Pain and Disability Index
Is a self-administered questionnaire that aims to measure pain and disability associated with shoulder disease with lower scores indicate little pain or disability and higher scores indicate higher pain and disability
Measured: From baseline to 6 weeks
Handheld dynamometer
A valid tool for measuring isometric muscle strength in kilograms/newton that provides an objective overview of shoulder flexor and abductor muscles strength
Measured: From baseline to 6 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Nov 2025
- Study start30 Jun 2025
- Primary completion30 Jan 2026
- Study completion30 Jan 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Shoulder DysfunctionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Cairo UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Model description
- Design of the study: In this study the patients will be randomly assigned into two equal groups (27 patients for each group)
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 54 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Asmaa Abdallah Mohamed, Cairo University
- Investigators
- Asmaa Abdallah, PhD, Principal investigator, Teaching assistant of physical therapy for surgery, cairo university, egypt
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07240129
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- P.T.REC/012/005749
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Jun 2025
- Last updated
- 24 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- 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 24 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of Graded Motor Imagery on Shoulder Dysfunction Post Mastectomy
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07240129
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- P.T.REC/012/005749
- Conditions
- Shoulder Dysfunction
- Keywords
- Graded Motor Imagery, Post Mastectomy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 54 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 30 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jan 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 20 Nov 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.
One of the most common complications after breast cancer surgery is a functional limitation of the upper body. Up to 67% of breast cancer patients experience arm or shoulder impairment, including pain, numbness, loss of strength, and reduced ROM, after surgery.
Graded motor imagery is effective in reducing pain interference with function using a graded sequence of strategies including left/right judgements (implicit motor imagery), imagined movements (explicit motor imagery) and mirror therapy.
Detailed description
54 female patients who have shoulder dysfunction post-mastectomy will participate in this study. Their ages will be ranged 35 to 55 years.
In this study the patients will be randomly assigned into two equal groups (27 patients for each group):
- Group A (study group): This group includes 27 patients who will receive graded motor imagery (GMI) along with the conventional physiotherapy (It will include exercise like codman's pendulum exercises in flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, and circular motion, active assisted ROM exercises with a wand, capsular stretching, wall ladder, and shoulder wheel exercises). GMI is consists of a three-step process. Each step of will be carried out for two weeks, for 30 minutes on two separate days, for total 6 weeks.
- Group B (control group):
This group includes 27 patients who will receive conventional physiotherapy treatment. It will include exercise like codman's pendulum exercises in flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, and circular motion, active assisted ROM exercises with a wand, capsular stretching, wall ladder, and shoulder wheel exercises, 2 times / week for 6 weeks.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Design of the study: In this study the patients will be randomly assigned into two equal groups (27 patients for each group)
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Group A (study group) | Active comparator | Other: Graded Motor Imagery (GMI), Other: Physical therapy programThis group includes 27 patients who will receive graded motor imagery (GMI) along with the conventional physiotherapy (It will include exercise like codman's pendulum exercises in flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, and circular motion, active assisted ROM exercises with a wand, capsular stretching, wall ladder, and shoulder wheel exercises). GMI is consists of a three-step process. Each step of will be carried out for two weeks, for 30 minutes on two separate days, for total 6 weeks |
| Group B (control group) | Placebo comparator | Other: Physical therapy programThis group includes 27 patients who will receive conventional physiotherapy treatment. It will include exercise like codman's pendulum exercises in flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, and circular motion, active assisted ROM exercises with a wand, capsular stretching, wall ladder, and shoulder wheel exercises, 2 times / week for 6 weeks |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 35 to 55 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age range of 35 to 55 years.
- All patients are post-mastectomized unilaterally.
- Female patients only.
- Patients have shoulder ROM restriction.
- Patients have shoulder pain more than 3 months (chronic).
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Having double mastectomy.
- Psychopathological disorders.
- Having other orthopedic problems (e.g. tendinitis, dislocation, osteoarthritis, referred pain to shoulder).
- Motor problems (e.g. tremor, dyskinesia).
- Metastasis.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Graded Motor Imagery (GMI)1. Left/right judgements: It includes left/right judgments of photographs that depict the affected area. 2. Imagined movements: Movement visualizations will be performed. 3. Mirror therapy: It includes observation of the movements of unaffected body part in the mirror, 2 times / week for 6 weeks. | Other | Group A (study group) |
| Physical therapy programAlso: A group of exercisesIt will include exercise like codman's pendulum exercises in flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, and circular motion, active assisted ROM exercises with a wand, capsular stretching, wall ladder, and shoulder wheel exercises, 2 times / week for 6 weeks. | Other | Group A (study group), Group B (control group) |
Primary outcome
Visual analog scale
Time frame: From baseline to 6 weeks
A validated, subjective measure for acute and chronic pain. Scores are recorded by making a handwritten mark on a 10-cm line that represents a continuum between 0 means "no pain" and 10 means "worst pain."
Smartphone clinometer application
Time frame: From baseline to 6 weeks
The smartphone clinometer application has excellent agreement with a goniometer-based gold standard for measurement of shoulder ROM in both healthy subjects and symptomatic patients.
2 secondary outcomes
Shoulder Pain and Disability Index
Time frame: From baseline to 6 weeks
Handheld dynamometer
Time frame: From baseline to 6 weeks
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 24 Jun 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.
Asmaa Abdallah, PhD principal investigator
Teaching assistant of physical therapy for surgery, cairo university, egypt
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Graded Motor Imagery (GMI) and Physical therapy program in people with Shoulder Dysfunction, run by Cairo University at 1 site in Egypt.
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 10 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 24 Jun 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 Egypt. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
Visual analog scale (time frame: From baseline to 6 weeks). 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 24 Jun 2026.