Spinal Cord Injuries Clinical Trials

The purpose of this study is to learn about the effect of sleep apnea and low oxygen on muscle strength and lung function in people with chronic spinal cord injury. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine usability of a locally built adaptive rower for people with spinal cord injury using an established and tested design. The main questions it aims to answer are: What exercise intensity of activity do users achieve on the rower for steady state and interval rowing plans? What assistance is required for setup and usage of the adaptive rower? What do users think about the ease of use and what is their satisfaction with the adaptive rower? Participants will complete a one-time exercise session with two adaptive rower bouts (10-15 minutes each) with a rest period in between. Read Less

The purpose of this pilot research project is to examine the impact of a low-glycemic index (GI) diet on postprandial hypotension and glucose control in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury. The objectives are: 1) To evaluate the effect of the low-GI diet on the magnitude of postprandial systolic blood pressure drop compared to a high-GI control diet. 2)To evaluate the effect of a low-GI diet on postprandial glucose and insulin responses compared to a high-GI control diet. Read Less

This multicenter study will enroll 100 patients with acute traumatic cervical and thoracic SCI who have a lumbar intrathecal catheter inserted within 24 hours of their injury. The lumbar intrathecal catheter will be inserted pre-operatively for the measurement of ITP and the collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. SCPP will be calculated as the difference between MAP and the ITP. There are two important distinct yet related objectives in this prospective interventional study. Determine the effect of SCPP maintenance ≥ 65 mmHg in acute SCI on neurologic recovery as measured by ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) grade conversion and motor score improvement. Collect CSF and blood samples for the measurement of neurochemical biomarkers and storage for future biomarker discovery and validation studies. Read Less

Manual wheelchairs (MWCs) are widely used by children with physical disabilities, yet many of these children are unable to use their wheelchair independently. Instead, they depend on others to push them. This dependency results in limited opportunities to decide what they want to do and where they want to go, leading to learned helplessness, social isolation, decreased participation, and restricted involvement in physical activities. Furthermore, unsafe MWC use increases the risk of injury, as highlighted by the 44,300 children treated each year in emergency departments for MWC-related injuries. While independent MWC mobility can positively influence quality of life, MWC skills training must also be provided to promote safe, independent MWC use. The effectiveness of MWC training programs for adults is well established, yet the current standard-of-care does not include MWC skills training for children and research regarding the efficacy of pediatric MWC skills training programs is limited. Skills on Wheels seeks to address these gaps and provide pilot data for a future large-scale, multi-site research project involving a randomized controlled trial. Aim 1 is to explore the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's MWC skills and confidence in their MWC use. Aim 2 is to investigate the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's psychosocial skills, social participation, and adaptive behavior. Read Less

So far, therapies have limited success in functional recovery in adults with chronic SCI. By introducing remote cognitive multisensory rehabilitation (CMR), which has shown significant functional improvements due to neurological recovery when delivered in-person, transformative results that (i) provide a potentially effective new therapy within the healthcare system, accessible to more patients, and (ii) demonstrate brain function changes alongside improved function in chronic SCI are anticipated. The results will inform and justify a large scale federally funded clinical trial. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to determine if electric stimulation to the leg, called transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS), can improve bladder outcomes in acute spinal cord injury. Read Less

Physical activity is important to maintain health, fitness, and function in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and social support is one of the most effective ways to increase physical activity participation. However, a large proportion of people with SCI are physically inactive and do not engage in recreational activities due to environmental and physical challenges. Many people with SCI also experience challenges with social connection, which may make engaging in physical activities more difficult. The investigators are offering a new online application designed specifically for people with SCI. The purpose of the research is to develop and evaluate a new online app, called SCI-Lynx, that would allow people with SCI to connect with other people and support each other in their physical activity, exercise, or other health or personal goals over a one-month period. This research will also evaluate how SCI-Lynx affects self-efficacy and social support for exercise and provide new information on changing physical activity participation and social connection in people with SCI. Read Less

Children who suffer a spinal cord injury in the neck region have difficulty using their hands due to paralysis and/or weakness of their arms and hand muscles. The purpose of this project is to test the safety, comfort, and practicality of a new therapy that stimulates the spinal cord to facilitate activation of arm and hand muscles while practicing grasping, pinching, and reaching movements. The long-term goal is to provide better therapies that will improve the ability of children with SCI to more successfully play and accomplish everyday tasks using their arms and hands, similar to before their injury. Read Less

The purpose of this observational research study is to better understand immune responses to vaccines against viruses (influenza or SARS-CoV2). The goal is to determine any differences in immune responses to vaccines in uninjured people and in people living with spinal cord injuries, who are typically at increased risk of infections. Read Less

A study to compare electrophysiologic activity of epidural stimulation and dorsal root ganglion stimulation, as well as quantify changes in motor performance with both types of stimulation over the course of 10 rehabilitation sessions. Read Less

This project will investigate the effect of spinal cord transcutaneous stimulation on blood pressure in individuals with a chronic spinal cord injury who experience blood pressure instability, specifically, orthostatic hypotension (a drop in blood pressure when moving from lying flat on your back to an upright position). The main questions it aims to answer are: What are the various spinal sites and stimulation parameters that normalize and stabilize blood pressure during an orthostatic provocation (70 degrees tilt)? Does training, i.e., exposure to repeated stimulation sessions, have an effect on blood pressure stability? Participants will undergo orthostatic tests (lying on a table that starts out flat, then tilts upward up to 70 degrees), with and without stimulation, and changes in their blood pressure will be evaluated. Read Less