NCT05880940: Boost

Comparing Different Rehabilitation Exercise Strategies for Improving Arm Recovery After Stroke

Completed NA Results posted Last updated 27 February 2026

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Armrest in Stroke in 35 participants. Completed in 28 February 2025.

Timeline

15 September 2023

Primary endpoint
31 January 2025

28 February 2025

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of California, Irvine
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	single
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	35
Start date	15 September 2023
Primary completion	31 January 2025
Estimated completion	28 February 2025
Sites	3 locations across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Armrest
• Electronic Arm and Hand Exercise Program

Conditions studied

• Stroke — all drugs for Stroke →

Sponsor

University of California, Irvine

Who can join

Adults 18 to 84, any sex, with 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.

Fugl-Meyer Arm Motor Assessment Score (FMAMA) Primary · Baseline upon admission (assessed within 3 days upon admission), Post-intervention evaluation at discharge (At discharge: assessed up to 3 weeks post baseline), and 3-month post-stroke evaluation (Follow up occurred at Month 3 after Baseline)

The investigators measure the change of the Fugl-Meyer Arm Motor Assessment scores from the baseline evaluation to the 3-month post stroke follow up evaluation. Fugl-Meyer Arm Motor Assessment is a 66-point scale measuring the movement pattern of the upper extremities. The minimum score is zero and the maximum score is 66. The higher scores indicate a better outcome.

Change in score (PI - BL)

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	11.8	± 6.8
Electronic Arm Exercises	6.9	± 6.9

Change in score (FU - BL)

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	18.6	± 11.3
Electronic Arm Exercises	19.2	± 9.4

Modified Ashworth Spasticity Scale (MASS) Secondary · Baseline upon admission (assessed within 3 days upon admission), Post-intervention evaluation at discharge (At discharge: assessed up to 3 weeks post baseline), and 3-month post-stroke evaluation (Follow up occurred at Month 3 after Baseline)

The investigators measure the spasticity of the upper extremity at baseline, post-intervention, and at the 3-month post stroke follow up evaluation. Spasticity is described as the resistance to passive movement. Participants are asked to relax and evaluators assess muscle resistance to passive movement at one joint at a time: Shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fingers. The evaluator will then grade the resistance on a 6-point scale for each joint. Higher scores indicate more rigid movement or more muscle tone resistance. The minimum score is zero and the maximum score is 4.

MASS of elbow at BL

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	1.7	± 1.1
Electronic Arm Exercises	1.7	± 1.1

MASS of elbow at PI

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	1.7	± 1.3
Electronic Arm Exercises	1.5	± 1.1

MASS of elbow at FU

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	1.9	± 1.5
Electronic Arm Exercises	1.9	± 1.1

MASS of wrist at BL

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	0.9	± 0.9
Electronic Arm Exercises	1.0	± 1.1

MASS of wrist at PI

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	1.3	± 1.1
Electronic Arm Exercises	1.0	± 0.8

MASs of wrist at FU

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	1.5	± 1.1
Electronic Arm Exercises	1.4	± 1.0

Box and Blocks Test Secondary · Baseline upon admission (assessed within 3 days upon admission), Post-intervention evaluation at discharge (At discharge: assessed up to 3 weeks post baseline), and 3-month post-stroke evaluation (Follow up occurred at Month 3 after Baseline)

The investigators measure the Box and Blocks Test scores at baseline, post-intervention, and at 3-month post stroke follow up evaluation. Participants are instructed to move as many blocks as possible, one at a time, from one compartment in a box to a second compartment over a divider for a period of 60 seconds; each block that is moved is counted, and multiple blocks moved at the same time are counted as a single block. The higher scores indicate a better outcome.

BBT at BL

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	3.2	± 5.9
Electronic Arm Exercises	1.9	± 4.7

BBT at PI

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	8.2	± 9.4
Electronic Arm Exercises	6.7	± 9.6

BBT at FU

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	16.0	± 14.3
Electronic Arm Exercises	22.5	± 14.9

Shoulder Subluxation Distance Secondary · Baseline upon admission (assessed within 3 days upon admission), Post-intervention evaluation at discharge (At discharge: assessed up to 3 weeks post baseline), and 3-month post-stroke evaluation (Follow up occurred at Month 3 after Baseline)

The investigators measure the shoulder subluxation distance at baseline, post-intervention, and at 3-month post stroke follow up evaluation. Participants are asked to be seated in a upright chair and relax their affected upper extremity. The evaluator measures the distance, in centimeter, between the inferior aspect of the acromion and the superior aspect of the humeral head. The lower scores indicate a better outcome.

Shoulder subluxation distance at BL

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	0.6	± 0.7
Electronic Arm Exercises	0.6	± 0.9

Shoulder subluxation distance at PT

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	0.4	± 0.8
Electronic Arm Exercises	0.2	± 0.4

Shoulder subluxation distance at FU

Group	Value	95% CI
Boost - Moveable Wheelchair Arm Rest	0.5	± 0.8
Electronic Arm Exercises	0.3	± 0.6

Sponsor's own description

The purpose of this research study is to measure the effect of participating in extra arm exercise in addition to standard rehabilitation exercises in the Acute Rehabilitation Unit. This study will compare two different ways to perform the extra arm exercise. The first is following a customized program of hand and arm exercises that will be developed for study participants by an experienced rehabilitation therapist. The second is moving a participants arm back and forth when they are sitting in their wheelchair by using a moveable wheelchair arm rest (Boost).

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial. Completed trials usually publish results within 12-18 months.