DDN in Stroke--COBRE

The study team is recruiting 20 adults with spasticity due to chronic stroke for a 7 day study over 2 weeks. In people with chronic stroke, one of the most common and disabling problems is spasticity (increased muscle tone or muscle stiffness). The purpose of this research study is to examine effects of dry needling on the nervous system (pathways between the muscle, spinal cord, and brain) in people with spasticity due to chronic stroke. Dry needling is a procedure in which a thin, stainless steel needle is inserted into the skin to produce a muscle twitch response. It is intended to release a knot in the muscle and relieve pain. The total study duration is 7 visits over 2 weeks. There will be 4 visits the first week, and 3 visits the second week. The first visit will take about 1.5 hours, during which study staff will determine the best placement of electrodes and create a cast of the participant's leg to aid them in quickly placing the electrodes on the remainder of the visits. The second and fifth visits will last about 3.5 hours, and all other visits will last about 1.5 hours. Dry needling will take place on the fifth visit only. During each visit the participant will be asked to participate in examinations of reflexes (muscle responses to non-invasive nerve stimulation) and leg function.