Spine and Brain Stimulation for Movement Recovery After Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Technology
General health
Online since 8 April 2025, updated 62 days ago

About this trial

Stimulation of the spinal cord and brain represents a new experimental therapy that may have potential to restore movement after spinal cord injury. While some scientists have begun to study the effec...

Included participants

Gender
All
Age
≥ 18 years
Injury level
C4 - T1
  • Severity (AIS)?
  • AIS-B
    AIS-C
    AIS-D
    Time since injury
    ≥ 1 year
  • Injury type
  • Traumatic

    Healthy volunteers
    No
    C4-T1
    Additionally, participants must
    NOT have a cardiac pacemaker/defibrillator
    NOT have ferromagnetic metallic implants in the head (except for within mouth)
    Not have implanted brain stimulators

    What’s involved

    Type

    Technology

    Details

    Loss of movement following spinal cord injury (SCI) often results from incomplete disruption of structures within the spinal cord, leaving some residual pathways of communication intact. Epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been used to recruit these residual communication pathways' spared circuits and restore walking in patients with leg paralysis. But SCS to improve arm and hand function remains largely unexplored, even though this is the commonest type of SCI and restoration of upper limb function is of highest priority to patients. The goal of this study is to understand the interactions between SCS and residual neural communication pathways in the brain and spine that control arm and hand function in order to restore movement after cervical SCI. This is a pilot study in which patients with traumatic spinal cord injury will undergo temporary placement of small electronic stimulation wires near the cervical spinal cord followed by a series of experiments over 29 days focused on three main aims. In Aim 1 (mapping responses to SCS), the investigators will map patient's motor responses to SCS to identify how motor responses are affected by areas of spinal cord injury. In Aim 2 (pairing SCS with attempted motor activation and brain stimulation), the investigators will combine SCS with patient attempts to move in order to study how SCS interacts with conscious motor control and also pair SCS with brain stimulation using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Finally, in Aim 3 (therapeutic effects), the investigators seek to use SCS to change the natural electrical circuits in the spinal cord and observe changes in motor function in both the short- and long-term.

    Potential benefits

    Main benefits

    General health

    Additional benefits

    Arm/hand function

    Sensory function

    Standing/walking/mobility

    Good to know: Potential benefits are defined as outcomes that are being measured during and/or after the trial.

    Wings for Life supports SCITrialsFinder

    Wings for Life has proudly initiated, led and funded the new version of the SCI Trials Finder website. Wings for Life aims to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. The not-for-profit foundation funds world-class scientific research and clinical trials around the globe.

    Learn more

    • Trial recruitment status
    • Recruiting
    • Trial start date
    • 1 Jul 2025
    • Organisation
    • Columbia University
    • Trial recruitment status
    • Recruiting
    • Trial start date
    • 1 Jul 2025
    • Organisation
    • Columbia University

    Wings for Life supports SCITrialsFinder

    Wings for Life has proudly initiated, led and funded the new version of the SCI Trials Finder website. Wings for Life aims to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. The not-for-profit foundation funds world-class scientific research and clinical trials around the globe.

    Learn more