StrokeMRPSNCT06964789
The Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) in Remote Stroke Rehabilitation
A study testing Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) and Early Supported Discharge in people with Stroke and Neurological Disorder, run by Institute of Technology, Sligo.
Trial summary
The aim of this pilot trial is to examine and compare the safety and feasibility of enhanced Early Supported Discharge (ESD) through the Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) and traditional ESD after stroke. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Stroke, Neurological Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) and Early Supported Discharge
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 14 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Nov 2027to 1 Jun 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- A clinical diagnosis of stroke;
- Completed inpatient rehabilitation;
- A level of ability that would allow them to participate safely (as determined by ESD team);
- Cognitive ability to consent and take part;
- Technological ability and resources to allow them to access MRPS platform;
- A proficiency in the English Language.
Who cannot join
- Involvement in other studies or rehabilitation programmes;
- A level of disability that would prevent them from participating safely (as determined by ESD team);
- Low level technological literacy or resources (e.g. Wi-Fi) which would prevent access to MRPS platform;
- Have uncontrolled medical condition or another serious medication condition in addition to stroke;
- Unable to understand or follow directions.
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: The Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) in Remote Stroke Rehabilitation: A Pilot Controlled Trial for 'Early Supported Discharge'
The aim of this pilot trial is to examine and compare the safety and feasibility of enhanced Early Supported Discharge (ESD) through the Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) and traditional ESD after stroke.
The main questions this trial aims to answer are:
Read more
- Is enhanced ESD via the MRPS safe, feasible and significantly different compared to traditional ESD when administered to patients after stroke?
- Do patients interact with and are they satisfied with the MRPS?
- Is enhanced ESD cost-effective compared to traditional ESD?
- Are there any adverse effects of the MRPS and what are the areas for further improvement?
Participants in the experimental group will receive enhanced ESD through the MRPS.
The intervention will be given for approximately 6-8 weeks in total. Frequency will be determined by how often the participants' use the MRPS themselves. Frequency of use and level of completion of each session will be monitored. Enhanced ESD therapy sessions will be designed to reflect traditional ESD sessions.
Participants in the control group will receive traditional ESD. The intervention will be given for approximately 6-8 weeks in total with a frequency of 1-3 therapy visits per week (as per traditional ESD). Therapy sessions will be designed by therapists delivering the ESD service.
Read the detailed description
The Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) is an Online Rehabilitation Platform for neurology patients. The platform has been designed to provide supervised and monitored remote rehabilitation therapy, initially focusing on patients who have suffered a stroke. The system comprises of a patent pending mirror therapy strengthening device, which is a neural therapy device using mirror therapy and exercise apparatus for upper limb rehabilitation. The platform also permits the addition of modules beneficial to the patients' recovery. The use of a sensory substitution balance apparatus and motion capturing sensors are also being developed to allow for lower limb rehabilitation.
Participants will be randomly allocated to an experimental (n=7) or control group (n=7) using a block stratified randomization process. Block randomization will be stratified for age, gender and degree of disability (computer-generated random numbers) with allocation concealment.
- Conditions
- Stroke, Neurological Disorder
- Being tested
- Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS), Early Supported Discharge
- Keywords
- Remote rehabilitation, Neurorehabilitation, Upper limb, Lower limb, Early Supported Discharge
- Medical subject headings
- Stroke, Nervous System Diseases
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS)Device
Also called MRPS
The MRPS is an Online Rehabilitation Platform for neurology patients. The platform has been designed to provide supervised and monitored remote rehabilitation therapy, initially focusing on patients who have suffered a stroke. The system comprises of a patent pending mirror therapy strengthening device, which is a neural therapy device using mirror therapy and exercise apparatus for upper limb rehabilitation. The platform also permits the addition of modules beneficial to the patients' recovery. A sensory substitution balance apparatus and motion detecting sensors are also being designed to connect to the system to allow for lower limb rehabilitation.
Early Supported DischargeOther
Also called ESD
ESD is a multidisciplinary service providing medically stable patients continued therapy and healthcare in the community.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental | Experimental | Participants in the experimental group will receive enhanced ESD through the MRPS.
The intervention will be given for approximately 6-8 weeks in total. Frequency will be determined by how often the participants' use the MRPS themselves. Frequency of use and level of completion of each session will be monitored. Enhanced ESD therapy sessions will be designed to reflect traditional ESD sessions. Receives: Device: Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) |
| Control | Active comparator | Participants in the control group will receive traditional ESD. The intervention will be given for approximately 6-8 weeks in total with a frequency of 1-3 therapy visits per week (as per traditional ESD). Therapy sessions will be designed by therapists delivering the ESD service Receives: Other: Early Supported Discharge |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Protocol Adherence/Compliance Rate.
Percentage of scheduled procedures, visits, or assessments completed as planned. 95% adherence/compliance rate suggest strong adherence/compliance rate.
Measured: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Secondary outcomes (2)
Berg Balance Scale (BBS).
Outcome measure to assess static and dynamic balance with high validity and reliability within the stroke population. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is a clinical tool used to assess a person's balance through a series of 14 functional tasks, each scored on a scale from 0 to 4, with a maximum total score of 56. An increase in total BBS score from baseline indicates improved balance. A change of 6-7 points is often considered the minimal detectable change (MDC) in older adults or people with balance issues (i.e., change likely reflects a real improvement, not measurement error).
Measured: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Fugl Meyer Assessment (FMA).
Stroke-specific, performance-based impairment index outcome measure. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) is a widely used, validated tool to evaluate motor function, balance, sensation, and joint performance in individuals after a stroke. It is particularly focused on motor recovery and is considered one of the most comprehensive quantitative measures of physical impairment post-stroke. The full Fugl-Meyer Assessment includes 5 domains, with a total possible score of 226 points. Higher scores indicate better motor recovery/function. Change in score over time reflects improvement or decline.
In stroke rehabilitation:10-point increase in motor score is typically considered clinically meaningful. Smaller changes (e.g., 5-7 points) may still be relevant depending on the baseline and context.
Measured: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 May 2025
- Study start1 Nov 2027 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Mar 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jun 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for StrokeStudies 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Pilot randomized controlled trial
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 14 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Institute of Technology, Sligo
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Sligo General Hospital
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Kenneth Monaghan, Institute of Technology, Sligo
- Investigators
- Kenneth Monaghan, PhD, Study director, ATU Sligo
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06964789
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ATU Sligo
- Acronym
- MRPS
- Status last verified
- Nov 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Oct 2024
- Last updated
- 4 Nov 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Nov 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) in Remote Stroke Rehabilitation: A Pilot Controlled Trial for 'Early Supported Discharge'
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06964789
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MRPS / ATU Sligo
- Conditions
- Stroke, Neurological Disorder
- Keywords
- Remote rehabilitation, Neurorehabilitation, Upper limb, Lower limb, Early Supported Discharge
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 14 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Institute of Technology, SligoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Sligo General Hospital
- Study start
- 1 Nov 2027 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Mar 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Jun 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 9 May 2025 (actual)
- 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.
The aim of this pilot trial is to examine and compare the safety and feasibility of enhanced Early Supported Discharge (ESD) through the Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) and traditional ESD after stroke.
The main questions this trial aims to answer are:
- Is enhanced ESD via the MRPS safe, feasible and significantly different compared to traditional ESD when administered to patients after stroke?
- Do patients interact with and are they satisfied with the MRPS?
- Is enhanced ESD cost-effective compared to traditional ESD?
- Are there any adverse effects of the MRPS and what are the areas for further improvement?
Participants in the experimental group will receive enhanced ESD through the MRPS.
The intervention will be given for approximately 6-8 weeks in total. Frequency will be determined by how often the participants' use the MRPS themselves. Frequency of use and level of completion of each session will be monitored. Enhanced ESD therapy sessions will be designed to reflect traditional ESD sessions.
Participants in the control group will receive traditional ESD. The intervention will be given for approximately 6-8 weeks in total with a frequency of 1-3 therapy visits per week (as per traditional ESD). Therapy sessions will be designed by therapists delivering the ESD service.
Detailed description
The Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) is an Online Rehabilitation Platform for neurology patients. The platform has been designed to provide supervised and monitored remote rehabilitation therapy, initially focusing on patients who have suffered a stroke. The system comprises of a patent pending mirror therapy strengthening device, which is a neural therapy device using mirror therapy and exercise apparatus for upper limb rehabilitation. The platform also permits the addition of modules beneficial to the patients' recovery. The use of a sensory substitution balance apparatus and motion capturing sensors are also being developed to allow for lower limb rehabilitation.
Participants will be randomly allocated to an experimental (n=7) or control group (n=7) using a block stratified randomization process. Block randomization will be stratified for age, gender and degree of disability (computer-generated random numbers) with allocation concealment.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Pilot randomized controlled trial
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental | Experimental | Device: Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS)Participants in the experimental group will receive enhanced ESD through the MRPS. The intervention will be given for approximately 6-8 weeks in total. Frequency will be determined by how often the participants' use the MRPS themselves. Frequency of use and level of completion of each session will be monitored. Enhanced ESD therapy sessions will be designed to reflect traditional ESD sessions. |
| Control | Active comparator | Other: Early Supported DischargeParticipants in the control group will receive traditional ESD. The intervention will be given for approximately 6-8 weeks in total with a frequency of 1-3 therapy visits per week (as per traditional ESD). Therapy sessions will be designed by therapists delivering the ESD service |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- A clinical diagnosis of stroke;
- Completed inpatient rehabilitation;
- A level of ability that would allow them to participate safely (as determined by ESD team);
- Cognitive ability to consent and take part;
- Technological ability and resources to allow them to access MRPS platform;
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Involvement in other studies or rehabilitation programmes;
- A level of disability that would prevent them from participating safely (as determined by ESD team);
- Low level technological literacy or resources (e.g. Wi-Fi) which would prevent access to MRPS platform;
- Have uncontrolled medical condition or another serious medication condition in addition to stroke;
- Unable to understand or follow directions.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS)Also: MRPSThe MRPS is an Online Rehabilitation Platform for neurology patients. The platform has been designed to provide supervised and monitored remote rehabilitation therapy, initially focusing on patients who have suffered a stroke. The system comprises of a patent pending mirror therapy strengthening device, which is a neural therapy device using mirror therapy and exercise apparatus for upper limb rehabilitation. The platform also permits the addition of modules beneficial to the patients' recovery. A sensory substitution balance apparatus and motion detecting sensors are also being designed to connect to the system to allow for lower limb rehabilitation. | Device | Experimental |
| Early Supported DischargeAlso: ESDESD is a multidisciplinary service providing medically stable patients continued therapy and healthcare in the community. | Other | Control |
Primary outcome
Protocol Adherence/Compliance Rate.
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Percentage of scheduled procedures, visits, or assessments completed as planned. 95% adherence/compliance rate suggest strong adherence/compliance rate.
2 secondary outcomes
Berg Balance Scale (BBS).
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Fugl Meyer Assessment (FMA).
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
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 4 Nov 2026.
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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.
Kenneth Monaghan, PhD study director
ATU Sligo
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Mechatronic Remote Physiotherapy System (MRPS) and Early Supported Discharge in people with Stroke and Neurological Disorder, run by Institute of Technology, Sligo.
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 6 inclusion and 5 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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 Kenneth Monaghan, PhD (0879480448, kenneth.monaghan@atu.ie), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Protocol Adherence/Compliance Rate. (time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 4 Nov 2026.