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NCT Number: NCT06231810

Tracking a Tactile Signal Along the Nervous System

Quantify the flow of a tactile signal from the stimulus at the finger at the peripheral nervous system (PNS), to the central nervous system (CNS), and to cognitive perception at the brain in young adults (Aim 1) and individuals with and without stroke (Aim 2).

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Key information

Conditions

Stroke Brain Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cerebrovascular Disorders Nervous System Diseases Tactile Perception Vascular Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

-right-hand dominance for participants who are neurotypical

For Aim 1:

-age range of 18-23

For Aim 2:

  • participants who are neurotypical will be a similar age to the participants with stroke
  • participants who are neurotypical will have no musculoskeletal and neurological conditions
  • participants with stroke will have a single stroke incident resulting in a unilateral lesion (ischemic and hemorrhagic)
  • participants with stroke will be in the chronic phase (>1 year from stroke onset)
  • participants with stroke will have an onset of stroke after the age of 18
  • participants with stroke who meet the criteria of having the capacity to provide informed consent, regardless of aphasia

Exclusion criteria

  • minors
  • pregnant women
  • prisoners
  • adults not capable of consenting on their own behalf.

For Aim 2:

  • participants with stroke who have used antispastic injections in the past six months
  • participants with stroke who have a lesion in the brainstem and/or cerebellum
  • participants with stroke who have a stroke arising due to brain surgery
  • participants with stroke who have hemineglect

Treatment and study plan

Tactile stimulation

Behavioral

Tactile stimuli of differing magnitudes will be applied

Primary outcomes

  1. Conscious detection threshold

    Time frame: 30 minutes during the first session of a one session protocol

    The magnitude at which a force stimulus applied to the finger can be first consciously detected. Different force levels will be applied, and the participant will indicate which of these forces can be detected. The changes in force applied will be in the units of N.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Brain activation

    Time frame: 60 minutes during the first session of a one session protocol

    The magnitude and regions of brain activated in response to differing levels of force stimuli will be captured using fMRI. The % signal change in the brain will be used to define the brain activation in response to each force stimulus level.

Other outcomes

  1. Peripheral nerve function

    Time frame: 30 minutes during the first session of a one session evaluation protocol

    Electrotactile stimuli will be applied to a finger, with the current (A) changing in magnitude. We will measure the level to which the peripheral nerve is activated using surface electrodes, which identify changes in voltage along the nerve.

Interested in participating?

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Interested in participating?

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Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2028
First posted
Jan 30, 2024
Registry last updated
Jun 17, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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