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NCT04279067

BCI-FES Therapy for Stroke Rehabilitation

Completed NA Results posted Last updated 10 February 2026
What this trial tests

NA trial testing BCI-FES dorsiflexion therapy in Ischemic Stroke in 62 participants. Completed in 26 November 2024.

Timeline
15 May 2020
Primary endpoint
5 September 2024
26 November 2024

Quick facts

Lead sponsorUniversity of California, Irvine
PhaseNA
StatusCompleted
Study typeINTERVENTIONAL
Allocationrandomized
Designparallel
Maskingsingle
Primary purposetreatment
Enrollment62
Start date15 May 2020
Primary completion5 September 2024
Estimated completion26 November 2024
Sites1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

Conditions studied

Sponsor

University of California, Irvine

Who can join

Adults 18 to 80, any sex, with Ischemic Stroke or Hemorrhagic Stroke. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.

Gait Velocity Primary · Baseline to End of Therapy (4 weeks after initiation of therapy)

Gait velocity will be assessed by measuring the time to traverse the middle 6 m of a 10-m walkway (5 repetitions/assessment). Scores are reported in meters/second with higher scores indicating better function.

Baseline
GroupValue95% CI
BCI-FES Dorsiflexion Therapy With Physiotherapy0.38± 0.21
Dose-and Intensity-matched Physiotherapy0.38± 0.26
End of Therapy
GroupValue95% CI
BCI-FES Dorsiflexion Therapy With Physiotherapy0.46± 0.23
Dose-and Intensity-matched Physiotherapy0.45± 0.34
Dorsiflexion Range of Motion Secondary · Baseline and end of therapy (4 weeks after initiation of therapy)

The paretic foot will be placed in a dangling, subtalar neutral position idling, while the tibia is perpendicular to the ground and the femur horizontal to the ground. A goniometer will be used to measure the maximum dorsiflexion angle, in degrees. 0 degrees indicates a neutral ankle position (foot horizontal to the ground, while tibia is perpendicular to the ground). Positive degrees indicate a maximum dorsiflexion angle above the neutral position, while negative degrees indicates a maximum angle below the neutral position (a larger, more positive measure indicates higher function).

Baseline
GroupValue95% CI
BCI-FES Dorsiflexion Therapy With Physiotherapy-12.54± 13.78
Dose-and Intensity-matched Physiotherapy-16.67± 15.78
End of Therapy
GroupValue95% CI
BCI-FES Dorsiflexion Therapy With Physiotherapy-10.05± 13.07
Dose-and Intensity-matched Physiotherapy-13.94± 15.74
Gait Endurance (Six Minute Walk Test: 6MWT) Secondary · Baseline to End of Therapy (4 weeks after initiation of therapy)

The distance walked over 6 minutes. Score is reported in meters and higher score indicates better function.

Baseline
GroupValue95% CI
BCI-FES Dorsiflexion Therapy With Physiotherapy101.08± 57.16
Dose-and Intensity-matched Physiotherapy105.74± 75.60
End of Therapy
GroupValue95% CI
BCI-FES Dorsiflexion Therapy With Physiotherapy118.19± 60.91
Dose-and Intensity-matched Physiotherapy118.83± 85.38
Fall Frequency Secondary · Baseline to End of Therapy (4 weeks after initiation of therapy)

Rate of falls experienced by subjects

Baseline
GroupValue95% CI
BCI-FES Dorsiflexion Therapy With Physiotherapy0.11± 0.32
Dose-and Intensity-matched Physiotherapy0.08± 0.27
End of Therapy
GroupValue95% CI
BCI-FES Dorsiflexion Therapy With Physiotherapy0± 0
Dose-and Intensity-matched Physiotherapy0± 0
EEG Map (Electroencephalogram) Secondary · Baseline to End of Therapy (4 weeks after initiation of therapy)

Subjects will undergo 64-channel EEG recording as they engage in 100 alternating 10-s long epochs of idling and attempted dorsiflexion. The EEG modulation, defined as the change in alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) band power during attempted dorsiflexion (compared to idling) will be calculated and averaged over all epochs and across all channels. Change in EEG alpha and beta band power will be express as percentage with respect to the idle state. Specifically, the change in the Channel Cz will be reported given its primary salience to attempted dorsiflexion.

Baseline
GroupValue95% CI
BCI-FES Dorsiflexion Therapy With Physiotherapy-31.73± 18.55
Dose-and Intensity-matched Physiotherapy-39.48± 18.84
End of Therapy
GroupValue95% CI
BCI-FES Dorsiflexion Therapy With Physiotherapy-38.74± 25.10
Dose-and Intensity-matched Physiotherapy-36.33± 22.10

Adverse events — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Time frame: Baseline to End of 3-month post intervention follow up. Reporting threshold: 5%. Adverse-event reports describe events observed during the trial — not all are caused by the drug.

BCI-FES Dorsiflexion Therapy With Physiotherapy
Serious: 7/32 (22%)
Deaths: 0/32
Dose-and Intensity-matched Physiotherapy
Serious: 3/30 (10%)
Deaths: 0/30

Serious adverse events (4 terms)

ReactionSystemBCI-FES Dorsiflexion Thera…Dose-and Intensity-matched…
Cardiac eventsCardiac disorders
Severe adverse events (unrelated to study procedures)Nervous system disorders
Falls with injury (unrelated to study procedures)General disorders
Orthopedic InjuriesMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Other adverse events (2 terms — click to expand)

ReactionSystemBCI-FES Dorsiflexion Thera…Dose-and Intensity-matched…
PainGeneral disorders
Orthopedic InjuryMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders

Most-reported serious reactions: Cardiac events, Severe adverse events (unrelated to study procedures), Falls with injury (unrelated to study procedures), Orthopedic Injuries.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04279067 adverse events section.

Sponsor's own description

There are over 7 million stroke survivors in the US alone, with approximately 795,000 new cases annually. Despite the best available physiotherapy, 30-60% of stroke survivors remain affected by difficulty walking, with foot weakness often being the main cause. Given that post-stroke gait impairments remain poorly addressed, new methods that can provide lasting improvements are necessary. Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology may be one such novel approach. BCI technology enables "direct brain control" of external devices such as assistive devices and prostheses by translating brain waves into control signals. When BCI systems are integrated with functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems, they can be used to deliver a novel physical therapy to improve movement after stroke. BCI-FES systems are hypothesized to stimulate recovery after stroke beyond that of conventional physical therapy.

Publications & conference data

2 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

  1. A single-center, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of a novel brain-computer interface controlled functional electrical stimulation (BCI-FES) intervention for gait rehabilitation in the chronic stroke population.
    Biswas P, Dodakian L, Wang PT, Johnson CA, et al · · 2024 · cited 8× · PMID 38872109 · DOI 10.1186/s12883-024-03710-3
  2. Robotic Ankle Assessment Post-Stroke: Reliability, Comparison to Therapists, and Benchmark Dataset Development.
    Johnson CA, Farrens AJ, Biswas P, Garcia-Fernandez L, et al · · 2025 · PMID 41157459 · DOI 10.3390/s25206405

Verify or expand the search:

Other recruiting trials for Ischemic Stroke

Currently open trials in the same condition.

Other University of California, Irvine trials

Trials by the same sponsor.

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Data sources for this page

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