Using Gaze to Enable Head-neck Movements in Patients With Head Drop

The investigators will develop and evaluate controllers for a powered neck exoskeleton in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to understand how to allow adequate personalization and function and achieves satisfaction from users. In this small device feasibility study, participants will be enrolled from the ALS clinic at the University of Utah Hospital. After obtaining written consent, participants will perform tasks while using the neck exoskeleton with the controllers. Tasks include computerized tracking tasks and simulated activities of daily living. Breaks will be added between tasks to avoid fatigue. Head-neck kinematics, gaze data, controller preferences, and survey responses will be recorded.

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Key information

Conditions

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis & Other Neuromuscular Disorders Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Central Nervous System Diseases Dropped Head Syndrome Metabolic Diseases Motor Neuron Disease Muscle Weakness Muscular Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Nervous System Diseases Neurodegenerative Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Neuromuscular Diseases Neuromuscular Manifestations Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Proteostasis Deficiencies Signs and Symptoms Spinal Cord Diseases TDP-43 Proteinopathies

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Utah Wearable Robotics Laboratory, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

neck weakness and age over 18

Exclusion criteria

Any cognitive deficits or visual impairments that would prevent from safely using the device and completing the tasks and poor device fitting.

Treatment and study plan

neck exoskeleton controller

Device

Subjects will use the neck exoskeleton controller to move their head-neck and complete tasks involving head-neck motions. The neck exoskeleton will be worn and controlled by the users to assist them during tasks.

Primary outcomes

number of tuning

Time frame: during the intervention (using the exoskeleton to complete tasks) approximately 1 hour

number of user feedback provided to personalize/tune controller parameters for their preferred exoskeleton performance

Interested in participating?

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

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Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Utah

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Using Gaze to Enable Personalized Head-neck Movements Through a Powered Neck Exoskeleton

Important dates

Study start: 2025
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2026
First posted: Sep 23, 2026
Registry last updated: Sep 23, 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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Completed