Ongoing Studies
MCL Research Registry
Sign up for our registry to help us place you in the right program!
Application Instructions
Take the online prescreening survey to determine what you qualify for:
Want more information? Contact us at (804) 299-6492.
VIGOR Study
Ages: 18-60 | Low Back Pain | Virtual Reality Gaming | Multiple Sessions
Description
- Want to help researchers discover new ways to treat back pain while playing new, innovative, and fun virtual reality games?
- Are you between 18 and 60 years old?
- Have you experienced back pain within the last 6 months?
VIGOR is a research study using an interactive game that may help reduce fear and increase spine motion in individuals with low back pain. The purpose of the study is to learn a new way to treat back pain. You are being asked to consider this study because you have chronic lower back pain and may have fear associated with movement.
You may qualify to participate in this study. If you qualify and agree to participate then you will be asked to visit VCU in Richmond, Virginia and participate in the study.
Time commitment is 24 one-hour visits over a 58-week period with compensation available.
Application Instructions
Take the online survey below to determine what you qualify for:
Contact us at (804) 299-6492 for more information.
PARK MoVR Study
Ages: 18+ | Parkinson's Disease | Balance Assessment & Virtual Reality Gaming | Single Session
Description
- Would you like to help us understand how people with Parkinson's disease engage with new technologies aimed at promoting movement?
- Want to play new, innovative, and fun virtual reality games?
Our research aims to use a suite of interactive exercise games based in virtual reality to help those living with Parkinson’s disease increase and improve movement of your trunk and improve control over your posture. The purpose of the current study is to help us better understand how willing people with Parkinson’s disease are to engage with these new technologies, as well as find out which features of our exercise games are exciting, engaging and fun, and will promote you to move with confidence.
You may qualify to participate in this study if you have Parkinson’s disease and are able to move around without the help of an assistive device. If you qualify and agree to participate then you will be asked to undergo a single one hour demonstration of our VR exercises that are set up at our booth. If you are unable to participate today but are interested in participating at a later time, we can arrange an appointment to visit the Motor Control Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.
Application Instructions
Take the online prescreening survey to determine what you qualify for:
Contact us at (804) 299-6492 for more information.
Healthy MoVR Study
Ages: 18-60 | Open to All | Virtual Reality Gaming | Single Session
Description
- Would you like to help us understand how different gaming environments and task goals influence movement behaviors in an immersive virtual reality setting aimed at promotiong movement?
- Want to play new, innovative, and fun virtual reality games?
Our research aims to examine how healthy individuals move across a variety of different gaming environments and tasks that are currently in our suite of interactive virtual reality exercise games. The purpose of the current study is to help us better develop assessment and treatment tools for those with movement disorders including low back pain, stroke and Parkinson’s disease.
If you qualify and agree to participate then you will be asked to undergo a one 3-hour demonstration of our VR exercise suite. If you are unable to participate today but are interested in participating at a later time, we can arrange an appointment to visit the Motor Control Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.
Application Instructions
Contact Dr. Alexander Stamenkovic via email at mcl@vcu.edu, or via phone at (804) 299-6492.
Berg Balance VR
Ages: 18-65+ | Healthy Controls, Parkinson's Disease, Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke | Balance Assessment & Virtual Reality Gaming | Single Session
Description
- Are you between 18-65 years old?
- Have you had any problems with balance (known post-concussion syndrome, stroke, Parkinson's, falls) in the last 12 months?
- Want to contribute to scientific knowledge, developing objective balance measures?
The research will take place in the Physiotherapy department at the VCU MCV campus and will last up to 2 hours.
Application Instructions
Contact Dr. Susanne van der Veen via e-mail at smvanderveen@vcu.edu, or via phone at (740) 541-6324.
Trunk Compliance in PD Study
Parkinson's Disease | Two Sessions
Description
- Participants are invited to provide their input to help understand stiffness and rigidity in people with Parkinson's Disease!
- Time commitment is two 150-minute appointments.
Trunk Compliance in PD is a research study searching to better understand what causes stiffness and rigidness in Parkinson’s Disease and whether measuring stiffness can aid in understanding the progress of disease and its severity. We hope to use this as a new way to track improvements in function related to treatments focused on balance and trunk control. You are being asked to consider this study because you have Parkinson’s disease, or meet our criteria to act as a matched control participant.
You may qualify to participate in this study. If you qualify and agree to participate then you will be asked to visit the Motor Control Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Physical Therapy in Richmond, VA and participate in the study for two 150-minute sessions.
Application Instructions
Take the online survey below to determine whether you qualify:
We will contact you if you are eligible for the study.
For more details, contact Dr. Alexander Stamenkovic, PhD, Department of Physical Therapy:
(804) 299-6492
You are invited to participate in a research study about the New Gait, a wearable orthotic device, and its effect on gait patterns in healthy adults. We are looking for healthy adults who are 18 years and older to participate in a single-visit study. This study will take place in the Physical Therapy department at VCU’s College of Health Professions.
The aim of this study is to investigate how these sets of slings and resistive bands will affect gait parameters, such as joint angles, and compare these results with walking trials without the New Gait system. The principal investigator for this study is Dr. James Thomas Ph.D., Department of Physical Therapy within the College of Health Professions. For more information, contact Dr. Thomas by phone at 804 828-0234, by email at jthomas32@vcu.edu, or contact the Motor Control Lab at mcl@vcu.edu or visit the contact section of this website.