Clinical Research Directory

Evaluating the Experience of Upper Limb Prosthesis Use

The goal is to understand the critical factors associated with outcome acceptance following upper limb loss. The investigators aim to develop a unified theoretical model that describes the psychosocial experience of upper limb prosthesis use and predicts outcome acceptance following upper limb loss. The investigators will also examine experiences with prosthesis education, selection, and training as well as how psychological and social issues impact prosthesis use. In addition, the investigators will use the findings to develop a prototype decision tool to assist with matching persons to prostheses. Study findings will help providers, technology developers, and researchers better understand the complex experience of upper limb prosthesis use. This conceptual framework will enable clinicians and researchers to evaluate and predict patient outcomes following limb loss, and to design interventions that improve outcomes. The proposed study is a mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) study using an observational design. The qualitative component of the study will involve data collection through telephone interviews with 42 participants and analyses using a grounded theory approach with constant comparison methods. The quantitative component involves administration of standardized measures quantifying constructs of the theoretical model in 120 participants and analyses to produce a structural equation model of outcome acceptance. Participants will include persons with unilateral acquired upper limb loss at the trans radial or trans humeral level who use currently available prosthetic devices. Up to 16 individuals will participate in a series of focus groups that will be conducted to provide feedback on the model generated from previous data.

VR to Evaluate Phantom Limb Pain

The objective of this study is to develop a virtual rehabilitation system that can be used to effectively treat Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) within the research setting and for at-home use by individuals with upper and lower extremity amputation. We hypothesize that the system will improve PLP for individuals with upper or lower extremity amputation, as measured through with various outcome measures and questionnaires.

Level Up! Adaptive Gaming for Children With Upper Limb Differences

The goal of this clinical trial is to test a new one-handed video game controller adapter to determine if it helps improve how video games are played and enjoyed in children with an upper limb difference on one side. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is performance improved while playing video games with the adapter? * Is user satisfaction or enjoyment improved while playing video games with the adapter? Participants will: * Answer questions about their limb difference and other demographics * Be interviewed about their current and past video game playing experiences * Learn how to use the adapter and have their performance with it evaluated * Take the adapter home to use for 1 week, and be asked to record their experiences * Have their performance with the adapter re-evaluated after a week of practice * Be interviewed about their experience with the adapter