Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Spinal Cord Injury

Details

In this single-blinded prospective randomized study, 10 adults (above 18years) with chronic spinal cord injury already managed with active rehabilitation and continuous pelvic nerves stimulation (low-frequency, antidormic) will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to active taVNS (twice daily, 30 minutes each time), or control with daily sessions of sham taVNS (0.0 mA). Rehabilitation is performed unspecifically by home-rehabilitation's team or physiotherapeutists with exercises adjusted to the participant's functional level. This protocol comprised 15 to 20 weekly hours of multidisciplinary care, including neurofunctional physiotherapy and aquatic therapy, cardiorespiratory physiotherapy (two hours/week). All patients have undergone previously an implantation of a stimulator for chronic neuromodulation of the pelvic somatic nerves according with the LION procedure. Participants and therapeutists will maintain blinding until the completion of the study (6 months). Assessment of gait function, motor symptoms are performed three time, at baseline, at 3-months follow up and at 6months follow up.