Movement DisorderNCT00001252
Human Movement Database
An observational study of Movement Disorder, run by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will collect information on the different ways people control limb and body movements. This information will be used to develop a database on normal movements and adaptive movements of people who have diseases that affect the way they move. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 1 month to 99 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Movement Disorder
- How many people
- 7,500 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 13 Mar 1995to not given
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 1 month to 99 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: Normal/healthy volunteers and volunteers with impairments of the neuromusculoskeletal system. Subjects will be evenly distributed between males and females
Who may be able to join
- Individuals with neuromuscular disorders and Healthy Volunteers in order to be eligible to participate in this study, must meet all of the following criteria:
- Children; One month old to 17 years of age
- --In the case of infants and very young children, they need to be able to imitate or perform an action on cue (e.g., reach out for a toy that is presented or take steps if placed on a treadmill) based on the parent report if the subject is a child and physician observation during history and physical examination.
- Adults; 18 years 99 years
- In good general health as evidenced by medical history or diagnosed with impairment of neuromusculoskeletal system
- Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study
- Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
- For those participants older than 5 years of age who have an abnormal gait pattern when walking as a result of a central nervous system injury, Dr. Alter will ask them or their guardian about their seizure history
Who cannot join
- Individuals with neuromuscular disorders and Healthy Volunteers, who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:
- Individuals with pacemakers
- Pregnancy
- Adults unable to provide informed consent
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
For more information at the NIH Clinical Center contact Office of Patient Recruitment (OPR), 800-411-1222 ext. TTY dial 711, ccopr@nih.gov
About this study
Official title: A Rigid Body Database on Human Movement
This study will collect information on the different ways people control limb and body movements. This information will be used to develop a database on normal movements and adaptive movements of people who have diseases that affect the way they move. The database will serve as a tool to improve diagnosis and treatment of patients with movement-related problems.
Volunteers from one month old to old age who have normal movement patterns or who have developed different ways to perform movement tasks may be eligible for this study. A physician or physical therapist will screen candidates to determine their strength, flexibility and range of motion of joints.
Participants will be asked to perform movements such as walking, walking up or down stairs, standing quietly or reaching for an object or using treadmill. For the test, the arms and legs are wrapped with a soft, rubber-like material to which small plastic reflective balls are attached. A piece of firm material called a shell may be attached to the rubber sleeves or other areas of the body. Then the volunteer performs the specified task several times while special cameras record the movement. These cameras will record the positions of the reflective balls during movement and may show the person s face or body. Electrical activity in the muscles also may be measured, using small metal electrodes attached to the surface of the skin with an adhesive bandage....
Read the detailed description
STUDY DESCRIPTION:
The purpose of this study is to develop a database of normative and adaptive control strategies for human motion. Volunteers will serve as subjects after they complete a neuromusculoskeletal screening exam. Subjects will be asked to perform one or more tasks related to the execution of activities of daily living such as: walking on the ground, walking on a treadmill, quiet and perturbed standing, stair ascent and descent, turning and jumping, and isolated upper and lower extremity limb movements or trunk movements. The subjects movement patterns will be recorded using a three-dimensional motion tracking system. Motion data will be analyzed using a rigid body six degree-of-freedom approach when applicable. Temporal/spatial, kinematic, kinetic, and surface electromyographic variables will be collected and calculated. When only temporal-spatial parameters are of interest, an instrumented portable walkway system may be used.
OBJECTIVES:
Primary objectives:
To develop a database of normative and adapted movement strategies for human movement. The variables calculated from the established database will be presented as mean time histories to serve as standards by which individual patient and group motion data may be compared.
ENDPOINTS:
Primary Endpoint:
The primary endpoint here is to accumulate a large database of participants with and without different neuromuscular disorders that includes multiple measures of physical function and performance, so we can begin to investigate the mechanisms underlying various disorders on either a group or individual basis.
- Conditions
- Movement Disorder
- Keywords
- Biomechanics, Kinesiology, Walking, Natural History
- Medical subject headings
- Movement Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| healthy volunteer | Normal/healthy volunteers | |
| Impaired volunteer | volunteers with impairments of the neuromusculoskeletal system. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Gait Kinematics
Strength and spasticity testing both include torque or force measurements as the primary outcomes. Balance testing typically yields the amount, velocity and direction of sway in response to different conditions or perturbations.
Measured: end of testing
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Nov 1999 (estimated)
- Study start13 Mar 1995
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Movement DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Other
- Enrolment
- 7,500 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Katharine E Alter, M.D., Principal investigator, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00001252
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 900168
- Other IDs
- 90-CC-0168
- Status last verified
- 3 Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 3 Nov 1999
- Last updated
- 26 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: Protocol is silent on IPD sharing.
Publications
Murray MP. Gait as a total pattern of movement. Am J Phys Med. 1967 Feb;46(1):290-333. No abstract available.
PubMed 5336886Benvenuti F, Stanhope SJ, Thomas SL, Panzer VP, Hallett M. Flexibility of anticipatory postural adjustments revealed by self-paced and reaction-time arm movements. Brain Res. 1997 Jun 27;761(1):59-70. doi: 10.1016/s0006-8993(97)00260-6.
PubMed 9247066Hallett M, Lebiedowska MK, Thomas SL, Stanhope SJ, Denckla MB, Rumsey J. Locomotion of autistic adults. Arch Neurol. 1993 Dec;50(12):1304-8. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1993.00540120019007.
PubMed 8257307
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Rigid Body Database on Human Movement
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00001252
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 900168
- Conditions
- Movement Disorder
- Keywords
- Biomechanics, Kinesiology, Walking, Natural History
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 7,500 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- 13 Mar 1995 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 Nov 1999 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will collect information on the different ways people control limb and body movements. This information will be used to develop a database on normal movements and adaptive movements of people who have diseases that affect the way they move. The database will serve as a tool to improve diagnosis and treatment of patients with movement-related problems.
Volunteers from one month old to old age who have normal movement patterns or who have developed different ways to perform movement tasks may be eligible for this study. A physician or physical therapist will screen candidates to determine their strength, flexibility and range of motion of joints.
Participants will be asked to perform movements such as walking, walking up or down stairs, standing quietly or reaching for an object or using treadmill. For the test, the arms and legs are wrapped with a soft, rubber-like material to which small plastic reflective balls are attached. A piece of firm material called a shell may be attached to the rubber sleeves or other areas of the body. Then the volunteer performs the specified task several times while special cameras record the movement. These cameras will record the positions of the reflective balls during movement and may show the person s face or body. Electrical activity in the muscles also may be measured, using small metal electrodes attached to the surface of the skin with an adhesive bandage....
Detailed description
STUDY DESCRIPTION:
The purpose of this study is to develop a database of normative and adaptive control strategies for human motion. Volunteers will serve as subjects after they complete a neuromusculoskeletal screening exam. Subjects will be asked to perform one or more tasks related to the execution of activities of daily living such as: walking on the ground, walking on a treadmill, quiet and perturbed standing, stair ascent and descent, turning and jumping, and isolated upper and lower extremity limb movements or trunk movements. The subjects movement patterns will be recorded using a three-dimensional motion tracking system. Motion data will be analyzed using a rigid body six degree-of-freedom approach when applicable. Temporal/spatial, kinematic, kinetic, and surface electromyographic variables will be collected and calculated. When only temporal-spatial parameters are of interest, an instrumented portable walkway system may be used.
OBJECTIVES:
Primary objectives:
To develop a database of normative and adapted movement strategies for human movement. The variables calculated from the established database will be presented as mean time histories to serve as standards by which individual patient and group motion data may be compared.
ENDPOINTS:
Primary Endpoint:
The primary endpoint here is to accumulate a large database of participants with and without different neuromuscular disorders that includes multiple measures of physical function and performance, so we can begin to investigate the mechanisms underlying various disorders on either a group or individual basis.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Other
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| healthy volunteer | – | –Normal/healthy volunteers |
| Impaired volunteer | – | –volunteers with impairments of the neuromusculoskeletal system. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 1 month to 99 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Normal/healthy volunteers and volunteers with impairments of the neuromusculoskeletal system. Subjects will be evenly distributed between males and females
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Individuals with neuromuscular disorders and Healthy Volunteers in order to be eligible to participate in this study, must meet all of the following criteria:
- Children; One month old to 17 years of age
- --In the case of infants and very young children, they need to be able to imitate or perform an action on cue (e.g., reach out for a toy that is presented or take steps if placed on a treadmill) based on the parent report if the subject is a child and physician observation during history and physical examination.
- Adults; 18 years 99 years
- In good general health as evidenced by medical history or diagnosed with impairment of neuromusculoskeletal system
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Individuals with neuromuscular disorders and Healthy Volunteers, who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:
- Individuals with pacemakers
- Pregnancy
- Adults unable to provide informed consent
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Gait Kinematics
Time frame: end of testing
Strength and spasticity testing both include torque or force measurements as the primary outcomes. Balance testing typically yields the amount, velocity and direction of sway in response to different conditions or perturbations.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 26 Oct 2026.
- Background: PubMed 5336886Murray MP. Gait as a total pattern of movement. Am J Phys Med. 1967 Feb;46(1):290-333. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 9247066Benvenuti F, Stanhope SJ, Thomas SL, Panzer VP, Hallett M. Flexibility of anticipatory postural adjustments revealed by self-paced and reaction-time arm movements. Brain Res. 1997 Jun 27;761(1):59-70. doi: 10.1016/s0006-8993(97)00260-6.
- Background: PubMed 8257307Hallett M, Lebiedowska MK, Thomas SL, Stanhope SJ, Denckla MB, Rumsey J. Locomotion of autistic adults. Arch Neurol. 1993 Dec;50(12):1304-8. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1993.00540120019007.
- NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web PageLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. Protocol is silent on IPD sharing.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Katharine E Alter, M.D. principal investigator
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Movement Disorder, run by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Mayra J Medrano ((301) 451-7529, mayra.medrano@nih.gov), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Gait Kinematics (time frame: end of testing). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00001252, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Oct 2026.