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N/A N=62 Randomized Single-blind Treatment

Enhancing STDP After Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal Cord Injury

Enrolled (actual)
62
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Jan 2021
Primary outcome: Primary: Functional Assessment — 100; 100; 100; 100 percentage of Baseline

Study Design & Population

Study type
Interventional
Phase
N/A
Interventions
STDP (Other); Training (Behavioral); Sham STDP (Other); Multisite-STDP (Other)
Age
Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
Sex
All
Sponsor
VA Office of Research and Development
Primary completion
Oct 2020

Outcome Measures

OutcomeResultp-value
PRIMARY
Functional Assessment
100; 100; 100; 100; 80.5; 75.6
SECONDARY
Amplitude of Motor Evoked Potential (MEP)
100; 100; 100; 100; 153.2; 164.6
SECONDARY
Maximum Voluntary Contraction
100; 100; 100; 100; 139.4; 144.6
SECONDARY
ISNCSCI-motor Scores
59.4; 68.9
SECONDARY
ISNCSCI-sensory Scores
99.0; 119.9
SECONDARY
SCI-QOL-ambulation
53.7; 57.1; 61.4
SECONDARY
SCI-QOL-self-care
45.9; 47.5; 48.5
SECONDARY
SCI-QOL- Bowel Management Difficulties
48.2; 51.8; 45.4
SECONDARY
SCI-QOL- Bladder Management Difficulties
41.0; 46.7; 40.9

Summary

The overall goal is to develop new clinical approaches to restore limb function after spinal cord injury (SCI). Corticospinal tract (CST) axons are involved in controlling limb function. Paired pulse induced spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP) enhances synaptic strength between residual CST axons and spinal motoneurons (SMNs) resulting in temporary improvements in limb function in humans with incomplete SCI. Motor training will be combined with paired-pulse STDP stimulation to further enhance plasticity and behavioral recovery.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Participants who are unimpaired healthy controls:

  • Male and females between ages 18-85 years
  • Right handed
  • Able to complete precision grips with both hands
  • Able to complete full wrist flexion-extension bilaterally
  • Able to walk unassisted
  • Able to complete full ankle flexion-extension bilaterally

Participants who have had a spinal cord injury:

  • Male and females between ages 18-85 years
  • SCI ( 6 months of injury)
  • Spinal Cord injury at or above L5
  • The ability to produce a visible precision grip force with one hand
  • Able to perform some small wrist flexion and extension
  • The ability to perform a small visible contraction with dorsiflexion and hip flexor muscles
  • No subjects will be excluded based on their race, religion, ethnicity, gender or HIV status.
  • ASIA A,B,C, or D

Exclusion Criteria

Exclusion criteria for enrollment For SCI and Healthy Control Subjects (4-8 exclusion for non-invasive brain stimulation only):

  • Uncontrolled medical problems including pulmonary, cardiovascular or orthopedic disease
  • Any debilitating disease prior to the SCI that caused exercise intolerance
  • Premorbid, ongoing major depression or psychosis, altered cognitive status
  • History of head injury or stroke
  • Metal plate in skull
  • History of seizures
  • Receiving drugs acting primarily on the central nervous system, which lower the seizure threshold (see appendix 2)
  • Pregnant females
  • Ongoing cord compression or a syrinx in the spinal cord or who suffer from a spinal cord disease such as spinal stenosis, spina bifida, MS, or herniated disk
  • Individuals with scalp shrapnel, cochlear implants, or aneurysm clips.
View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02701777). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.

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