Neurorehabilitation

Biography

Biography: Urvashy Gopaul

Abstract

Background/Aim:Complex interventions used in stroke rehabilitation trials are often described in insufficient detail to allow their application to clinical practice. Thus, the template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR) checklist was designed to guide the reporting of therapeutic interventions in randomised controlled trials. TIDieR could be equally useful in reporting interventions in Phase I trials. The aim of this abstract is to describe a new upper limb stroke rehabilitation intervention “Combined Physical and SEnsOry training” (COMPoSE), being used in a Phase I study, using the TIDieR checklist. Methods:The COMPoSE intervention was developed through the following stages: 1) Generation of sensory and motor variables used in training sensation and movement after stroke; 2) Development of methods to give feedback to enhance skill acquisition; and 3) Combination of sensory and motor variables, and feedback, into a standardised matrix. TIDieR was used to describe the COMPoSE intervention to facilitate replication of the intervention in the future. Results:The essential features of COMPoSE included:combined sensorimotor training variables (grasp pressure, distance, object size, crushability, surface texture and friction), intensive practice (216 repetitions/session), feedback using a wearable device providing kinematic measures and a haptic device providing measures of grasp pressure. Ten sessions of treatment will be delivered over 3 weeks, using a standardised matrix for treatment delivery. Conclusion:The COMPoSE intervention is ready to be evaluated in a Phase 2 trial. TIDieR is an efficient way to describe the development and content of a complex intervention used in Phase I trials in stroke rehabilitation research.