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STUDY PROTOCOL article

Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Brain Imaging and Stimulation
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1409148

Characteristics of central cortex and upper-limb flexors synchrony oxygenation during grasping in people with stroke: a controlled trial study protocol

Provisionally accepted
Jiang-Li Zhao Jiang-Li Zhao 1*Pei-Ming Chen Pei-Ming Chen 2Tao Zhang Tao Zhang 3Hao Xie Hao Xie 3Wenwu Xiao Wenwu Xiao 3Shamay S. Ng Shamay S. Ng 2Chuhuai Wang Chuhuai Wang 3*
  • 1 Other
  • 2 Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR China
  • 3 Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Upper limb motor impairment is a common consequence of stroke, and the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of rehabilitation therapy for improving upper limb function remain uncertain. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy, a reliable wearable neuroimaging technique, holds promise for investigating brain activity during functional tasks. This study aims to explore the synchronous oxygenation characteristics of the central cortex and upper-limb flexors during a grasping task and investigate the rehabilitation mechanisms of upper limb motor function in individuals with stroke.Methods: Participants with stroke who demonstrate the ability to grasp and lift cubic wood blocks of different sizes (2.5cm 3 , 5cm 3 , and 10cm 3 ) using their affected hand will be divided into three groups: A, B, and C. Each group will consist of twenty stroke patients, resulting in a total of sixty participants with stroke. Additionally, twenty matched healthy subjects will be enrolled as a control group. Comprehensive assessments will be conducted before and after the intervention, including blood oxygen parameter monitoring of the cerebral cortex and upper limb flexors using fNIRS during the grasping task. Other assessments will include MyotonPRO, the Modified Ashworth Scale, the upper extremity section of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, the Action Research Arm Test, and the Modified Barthel Index. The study will be undertaken between January 2024 and September 2025.The results of this trial will provide an in-depth understanding of the Characteristics of central cortex and upper-limb flexors synchronous oxygenation during grasping task and how it may relate to the rehabilitation mechanism of upper limb motor function in people with stroke.

    Keywords: Rehabilitation, stoke, Motor function, functional near infrared spectroscopy, oxygenation, Virtual reality training

    Received: 06 May 2024; Accepted: 09 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhao, Chen, Zhang, Xie, Xiao, Ng and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Chuhuai Wang, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.