Welcome to the Mobility Aids Studies Page

CURRENT STUDIES THAT MAY INTEREST YOU

MHealth for Veterans and Caregivers

Are you a service member or veterans with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) or the caregiver of a service member with a SCI? You may be eligible for a research study to refine and improve a smartphone app developed to support military service members or veterans with spinal cord injury and their caregivers manage their health/self-care tasks. Compensation is provided.

Assistive Devices

Healthy Volunteer

Mobility Aids

Other Physical Disability

And 2 more areas

AGE: 18 and older

DURATION: approximately 6 weeks

VISITS: 6 sessions

LOCATION: Zoom videoconference

COMPENSATION: $25 for each session that you complete in full.

Smart Speaker Training Intervention

Do you have a motor impairment or have blindness/low vision? You may be eligible for a research study to see if teaching people with disabilities how to use a smart speaker can help them to use the technology. Participants try an online training program about using an Amazon Alexa device and complete an interview on the usefulness and limitations of the material.

AGE: 18 and older

DURATION: approximately 2 weeks

VISITS: at your own pace at home

LOCATION: Online & At home

COMPENSATION: Participants will be able to keep the Alexa device

Smartphone Self-Care for Chronic Conditions

Do you have spina bifida, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or cerebral palsy? Researchers at Pitt are looking for adults with these chronic conditions to give feedback on new smartphone apps designed to make self-care more manageable. Compensation provided.

Assistive Devices

Chromosomal Disorders

Mobility Aids

Other Brain and Nervous System

And 2 more areas

AGE: 18 and up

DURATION: Varies

LOCATION: Multiple clinic locations in East End, or at home

COMPENSATION: $25 per completed session

NO IN-PERSON VISITS

Smart Phone Apps Study II

Do you have a diagnosis of Spina Bifida, Spinal Cord Injury, or Cerebral Palsy? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a study to help develop and evaluate an app suite to support and manage self-care. Compensation may be provided.

Assistive Devices

Chromosomal Disorders

Mobility Aids

Other Brain and Nervous System

And 3 more areas

AGE: 18 - 99

VISITS: Multiple visits/sessions

LOCATION: Either in the office, your home, or by phone

COMPENSATION: -Participants in the mHealth group will not receive monetary compensation but will receive free use of the smartphone for the duration of the study. Participants in the control group will receive $25.00 for full completion of each study session, or $100.00 if they complete the entire study.

NO IN-PERSON VISITS

Virtual Peer Coaching in Manual Wheelchair Skills Research Study- Trainee

Do you have a non-progressive spinal cord injury? You may be eligible for a research study to determine the effectiveness of virtual coaching from a peer to improve manual wheelchair skills. This study will include virtual 1:1 training sessions targeted at improving your wheelchair skills. Compensation is provided.

Assistive Devices

Mobility Aids

Other Physical Disability

Physical Disability and Rehabilitation

And 1 more area

AGE: 18 and older

DURATION: approximately 1 year

VISITS: 6 peer coaching sessions and 5 questionnaires

LOCATION: Virtual (via Zoom)

COMPENSATION: up to $75 for completing peer coaching sessions and $125 for completing questionnaires

Smart Home Service Delivery

Are you having difficulty interacting with or controlling your environment, due to either physical, cognitive, and/or sensory impairments? You may be eligible for a research study to evaluate a smart home technology service delivery program for people with disabilities. Compensation is provided.

Assistive Devices

Chromosomal Disorders

Cystic Fibrosis

Genetic Disorders

And 8 more areas

AGE: 18 and older

DURATION: up to 1.5 years

VISITS: up to 12 sessions

LOCATION: Virtually via zoom, at the UPMC Center for Assistive Technology (CAT), the Life Skills Apartment at Mercy Pavillion or at your home.

COMPENSATION: up to $100

REGISTRY

NO IN-PERSON VISITS

Movement Disorders Research Registry

Do you have a movement disorder? If so, you may be able to participate in the Movement Disorders Registry. This registry is a list of individuals who are interested in being contacted about future research studies.

VISITS: None Required

LOCATION: By email or phone

COMPENSATION: NONE

NO IN-PERSON VISITS

MyPaTH Story Booth 2.0

Interested in sharing your story about health, illness, or research? Patients and caregivers are needed to participate in a research study to help learn more about topics that are important to you and that may improve health and health care. Participation involves one 45-minute session that takes place over the phone. Eligible participants must be able to read and understand English.

DURATION: 45 minutes

VISITS: 1 visit or phone call

LOCATION: By phone

COMPENSATION: NONE

REGISTRY

Technology and Disability Research (TDR) Registry

Are you a person with disability or a caregiver/professional working with individuals with disabilities? You may be eligible to participate in a research registry to help advance disability research and meaningful tech solutions. Participants will receive updates on the latest research opportunities and have the option to take part in studies that align with their interests and eligibility.

AGE: 18 and older

DURATION: indefinitely

VISITS: one-time questionnaire/yearly contact update

LOCATION: virtually or in-person

COMPENSATION: NONE

Comparing Lived Experiences Study

Are you African American, Black, or White non-Hispanic and have had a stroke? Did you receive care at UPMC Rehabilitation Institute inpatient rehabilitation facility? You may be eligible for a research study examining the health care experiences and perspectives of African American, Black, and White non-Hispanic individuals who have had a stroke and received inpatient rehabilitation.

Assistive Devices

Mobility Aids

Other Physical Disability

Physical Disability and Rehabilitation

And 2 more areas

AGE: 18 and older

DURATION: about 1 month

VISITS: online questionnaires and online interview

LOCATION: Online

COMPENSATION: up to $100

REGISTRY

Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) Registry

Do you use an assistive device like a wheelchair, scooter, prosthesis (artificial limb), or cane? Are you interested in learning about research related to assistive technology? If so, you may be able to join the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) Registry. Participants will be informed of current and future research studies, but are not obligated to participate in a research study.

Assistive Devices

Mobility Aids

AGE: 18 and up

LOCATION: University of Pittsburgh

COMPENSATION: NONE

Above the Knee Amputee Research Study

Are you 18-80 years old? Do you have an above the knee amputation and are walking in a conventional socket prosthesis? You may be able to participate in a study to find out how socket design changes affect comfort and mobility for amputees. Participation involves undergoing a CT scan, high-speed X-ray imaging, and ultrasound. Compensation is provided.

Mobility Aids

Other Bones, Joints, and Muscles

Other Injuries/Injury Prevention

Rehabilitation

AGE: 18-80

DURATION: 1-2

VISITS: 4.5 hours

LOCATION: University of Pittsburgh Biodynamics Laboratory, UPMC Sports Medicine Center – South Side & UPMC Mercy - Uptown

COMPENSATION: Up to $300 & $10 for parking (if needed)

Spinal Cord Stimulation for the treatment of motor deficits in people with Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Are you affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy? You may be able to participate in a research study using spinal cord stimulation (SCS), an approved clinical therapy for pain syndromes that do not respond to drugs. Unexpectedly, SCS has shown the ability to promote the recovery of leg motor function in people with complete motor paralysis in consequence of spinal cord injury years after injury.

DURATION: 9 months

VISITS: 35 visits

LOCATION: UPMC Presbyterian

COMPENSATION: $1750

A Sensorimotor Microelectrode Brain-Machine Interface

Do you have little or no ability to use your hands due to a cervical spinal cord injury, brainstem stroke, or spinal stroke? Are you aged 22-70? If so, you may be eligible to take part in a research study involving brain-machine interface (BMI) technology. BMI technology uses signals recorded from the brain to control devices such as a computer or a robotic limb. Compensation provided.

Assistive Devices

Featured Research

Mobility Aids

Other Bones, Joints, and Muscles

And 2 more areas

AGE: 22 - 70

DURATION: 25 months

VISITS: Multiple

LOCATION: UPMC Presbyterian Hospital – Oakland

COMPENSATION: Up to $14,810 & travel costs

RELATED RESEARCH AREAS:

Physical Disability and Rehabilitation