Study of Arm and Putter Movement in Golfers With Golfer's Cramp

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02032758
• Recruitment Status: Completed
• First Posted: January 10, 2014
• Results First Posted: July 25, 2016
• Last Update Posted: July 25, 2016
• Sponsor: Mayo Clinic
• Information provided by (Responsible Party): Charles Adler, Mayo Clinic

Study Description

Brief Summary:

The investigators will investigate golfers with visual evidence of an involuntary movement while putting before and after treatment with a low dose of propranolol.

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
Occupational; Cramp(s)	Drug: Propranolol; Device: Opal Device; Procedure: Science and Motion PuttLab (SAM); Device: Surface Electromyography EMG	Phase 4

Detailed Description:

Dystonia affecting athletes has received little research attention and there has been a lack of awareness or interest among both physicians and athletes. Task-specific dystonias or occupational cramps affect people while writing, typing, and or playing a musical instrument. Our group has previously shown that a subset of golfers who complain of the yips appear to have a task-specific dystonia or golfer's cramp. The yips are characterized by an inability to appropriately complete a golf stroke, most often putting and chipping strokes. Most individuals with the yips describe a jerking or shaking movement that interrupts their swing. In many cases the yips are disabling and the golfer, including professional tour players, give up golfing.

Golfers who have evidence of golfer's cramp will putt a series of putts during which they will be monitored for arm movements and putter movements. They will then be treated with a low dose of propranolol to see if there is a change in these parameters.

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional (Clinical Trial)
• Actual Enrollment: 38 participants
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)
• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Official Title: Golfer's Cramp: Correlation of Wrist Movements and Surface EMG With Putter Movements
• Study Start Date: January 2014
• Actual Primary Completion Date: January 2015
• Actual Study Completion Date: January 2015

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/treatment
Experimental: Golfers With Golfer's Cramp; Subjects in this arm will be tested with the Opal device, the Science and Motion PuttLab (SAM), and the Surface Electromyography (EMG) to collect movement parameters while putting before and after a single dose of 10 mg Propranolol.	Drug: Propranolol; Single oral dose of 10 mg propranolol; Other Name: Inderal; Device: Opal Device; The Opal Device (APDM, Inc.) will be used to measure wrist movement.; Procedure: Science and Motion PuttLab (SAM); The SAM will be used to study putter stroke movement and ball movement.; Device: Surface Electromyography EMG; The surface EMG will be used to evaluate co-contraction of the wrist flexor/extensor muscle groups and the wrist pronator/supinator muscle groups.
Golf Pros; Subjects in this arm will be tested with the Opal device, the Science and Motion PuttLab (SAM), and the Surface Electromyography (EMG) to collect movement parameters while putting. The subjects in this arm will not receive any study drug.	Device: Opal Device; The Opal Device (APDM, Inc.) will be used to measure wrist movement.; Procedure: Science and Motion PuttLab (SAM); The SAM will be used to study putter stroke movement and ball movement.; Device: Surface Electromyography EMG; The surface EMG will be used to evaluate co-contraction of the wrist flexor/extensor muscle groups and the wrist pronator/supinator muscle groups.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures :

1. Mean Dynamic Change of Rotation at Impact [ Time Frame: baseline, approximately 45 minutes after propranolol dosing ]
   "Dynamic change of rotation at impact" is the velocity of rotation of the putter from the start of the forward swing until the time of impact with the golf ball.

Secondary Outcome Measures :

1. Mean Total Putter Face Rotation Before Impact [ Time Frame: baseline, approximately 45 minutes after propranolol dosing ]
   "Total putter face rotation before impact" is the degrees of rotation of the putter from the start of the forward swing until the time of impact with the golf ball.

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years to 75 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Criteria

Inclusion criteria:

• Age 18-75
• Complaint of golfer's cramp/yips
• Visual evidence of a movement disorder during putting
• Able to complete 80 putts during the session

Exclusion criteria:

• Contraindication to treatment with propranolol
• Movement disorder not when putting

Contacts and Locations

Locations

United States, Arizona

Mayo Clinic in Arizona

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States, 85259

Sponsors and Collaborators

Mayo Clinic

Investigators

• Principal Investigator: Charles Adler, MD, PhD; Mayo Clinic

More Information

• Responsible Party: Charles Adler, Professor of Neurolgy, Mayo Clinic
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02032758
• Other Study ID Numbers: 12-007930
• First Posted: January 10, 2014
• Results First Posted: July 25, 2016
• Last Update Posted: July 25, 2016
• Last Verified: June 2016

Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:

• Plan to Share IPD: No

Keywords provided by Charles Adler, Mayo Clinic:

Occupational; Cramp(s)

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Muscle Cramp; Spasm; Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Propranolol; Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Adrenergic Antagonists; Adrenergic Agents; Neurotransmitter Agents; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Antihypertensive Agents; Vasodilator Agents