Completed

FOCA-IEffect of Customized Software for Foot-related Exercises (SOPeD) for Prevention and Treatment of Foot Musculoskeletal Dysfunctions of People With Diabetic Neuropathy: FOotCAre (FOCAtrial-I) Randomized Controlled Trial

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What is being tested

Physical therapy by foot-ankle segmental and functional exercises

Other
Who is being recruted

Cardiovascular Diseases+13

+ Diabetes Mellitus

+ Diabetic Angiopathies

From 18 to 65 Years
+15 Eligibility Criteria
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Interventional
Study Start: August 2019
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorUniversity of Sao Paulo General Hospital
Last updated: January 28, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: August 1, 2019

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

A randomized controlled trial will be performed with 62 patients with diabetic neuropathy. The participants will be randomly assigned into either a control group (recommended foot care by international consensus with no foot exercises) or an intervention group that will perform exercises at home, three times a week, through the SOPeD (Diabetic Foot Guidance System) software for 12-weeks. The exercise program is customized during the performance by a perceived effort scale reported by the participant. The subjects will be evaluated in 3 different times to access the effect of the intervention: baseline and 12 weeks, for all outcomes; and 24 weeks, for follow-up reasons for all outcomes. The following outcomes will be assessed in all times: (1) diabetic neuropathy symptoms and signs by Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument, (2) fuzzy score of the neuropathy severity, (3) foot-ankle kinematics during gait (infrared cameras) (4) foot-ankle joint moment during gait (infrared cameras and force plate), (5) plantar pressure distribution during gait, (6) tactile (monofilaments), (7) vibration sensitivity (tuning fork), (8) foot health and functionality by the Foot Health Status Questionnaire, (9) Foot isometric strength (pressure plate measurement), (10) functional balance reach test. The hypothesis of this study is that the intervention will increase the perception of the tactile and vibratory sensitivity of the foot, reduce the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, increase the strength of the foot muscles, increase the functional balance score, decrease the severity of the diabetic neuropathy (fuzzy score), decrease the number of neuropathy symptoms, promote a more physiological foot rollover with a redistribution of plantar pressure during gait, as well as increase foot-ankle mobility after 12-weeks of intervention. There will be also beneficial biomechanical changes during gait, such as: (1) increase in the ankle extensor moment and ankle concentric power in the propulsion phase and (3) increase in the ankle flexor moment and ankle eccentric power in the load phase.

Official TitleEffect of Customized Software for Foot-related Exercises (SOPeD) for Prevention and Treatment of Foot Musculoskeletal Dysfunctions of People With Diabetic Neuropathy: FOotCAre (FOCAtrial-I) Randomized Controlled Trial
Principal SponsorUniversity of Sao Paulo General Hospital
Last updated: January 28, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
Design Details

62 patients to be enrolled

Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.

Treatment Study

These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.



Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria

Any sex

Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.

From 18 to 65 Years

Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.

Conditions

Pathology

Cardiovascular DiseasesDiabetes MellitusDiabetic AngiopathiesDiabetic NeuropathiesEndocrine System DiseasesLeg UlcerNervous System DiseasesNeuromuscular DiseasesPeripheral Nervous System DiseasesSkin DiseasesSkin UlcerVascular DiseasesFoot UlcerSkin and Connective Tissue DiseasesDiabetic FootDiabetes Complications

Criteria

4 inclusion criteria required to participate
Diabetes mellitus type 1 or 2;

Moderate or severe neuropathy confirmed with the fuzzy software;

Ability to walk independently in the laboratory ;

Accessibility to electronic devices (computers, mobile devices, tablets, etc.) access to exercise software.

11 exclusion criteria prevent from participating
Hallux amputation or total amputation of the foot;

History of surgical procedure in the knee, ankle or hip;

History of arthroplasty and / or lower limb orthosis or indication of lower limb arthroplasty throughout the intervention period;

Neurological and / or rheumatologic diseases diagnosed;

Show More Criteria

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives

One single intervention group is designated in this study

This study does not include a placebo group 

Treatment Groups

Group I

Experimental
Patients in the intervention group will perform foot-related exercises described in the SOPeD software three times/week at home via web-software. In the follow-up period, patients will follow the same schedule set by the project till the end of the study.

Study Objectives

Primary Objectives

Secondary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.

This study has 1 location

Suspended

Universidade de São Paulo

São Paulo, BrazilOpen Universidade de São Paulo in Google Maps
CompletedOne Study Center
FOCA-I | Effect of Customized Software for Foot-related Exercises (SOPeD) for Prevention and Treatment of Foot Musculoskeletal Dysfunctions of People With Diabetic Neuropathy: FOotCAre (FOCAtrial-I) Randomized Controlled Trial | PatLynk