rTMS and Body Weight-support Treadmill Training After Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

About this trial

This trial is enrolling individuals with chronic incomplete spinal cord injuries to test a type of brain stimulation combined with treadmill stepping (locomotor) training. The stimulation method, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), is a non-invasive technique which uses a magnetic field to stimulate the motor cortex region of the brain. A coil held over the head delivers a magnetic stimulus that activates the brain and spinal cord. The locomotor training will utilize a body weight-support treadmill (Biodex) system. The percentage of body weight support and speed of the treadmill will be modified based on the performance of each participant. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two experimental groups; one receiving the repetitive TMS pulses, the other receiving a sham TMS protocol that resembles the TMS delivery but without having a therapeutic effect. In total, 12 therapeutic sessions will be performed over the course of a month. Three sessions will be done each week, 20 min for each. Behavioral and neurological assessments will be measured before, during, and at the end of the study. A final follow-up assessment will be conducted 30-days after the intervention.