Carey 2004

Trial name or title	IN‐TOUCH: brain adaptation associated with spontaneous and training‐induced recovery of touch sensation post‐stroke
Methods	RCT
Participants	Post stroke patients
Interventions	The aim of this project is to locate and compare areas of brain activation associated with spontaneous (study 1) and training‐induced (study 2) recovery of touch sensation following stroke, using serial fMRI Intervention involves stimulus‐specific training of touch sensation and includes graded presentation of stimuli, active exploration, feedback and calibration of sensations Training is conducted for 15 x 45 minute sessions over a 6‐week interval The control condition involves exposure to similar touch stimuli over the same number of sessions but does not include training principles
Outcomes	Primary outcome measures are assessed between 1 and 6‐month scans post‐stroke for study 1 and between 6 and 7.5‐month scans post‐stroke for study 2 Primary outcome measure 1: the primary outcome is change in intensity, particularly in ipsilesional primary somatosensory cortex and bilateral secondary somatosensory cortex Primary outcome measure 2: the primary outcome is the extent of activation, particularly in ipsilesional primary somatosensory cortex and bilateral secondary somatosensory cortex Secondary outcome measures are assessed at 1, 3, 4.5, 6 and 7.5 months post‐stroke for secondary measure 1 and at 1, 6 and 7.5 months for secondary measure 2 Secondary outcome measure 1: clinical measures of touch sensation, i.e texture discrimination using the Tactile Discrimination Test and detection of touch pressure using the WEST hand monofilaments Secondary outcome measure 2: neurological function will be measured using the Neurological Institute Stroke Scale and activities of daily living using the Barthel Index
Starting date	1 January 2004
Contact information	Professor Leeanne Carey National Stroke Research Institute, Austin Health Repatriation Campus, Neurosciences Building 300 Waterdale Road, Heidelberg Heights, VIC 3081, Australia Phone: +61 3 94962586 Email: lcarey@nsri.org.au
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