Transcutaneous Electrical Spinal Stimulation to Restore Upper Extremity Functions in Spinal Cord Injury
| Study Contact Fatma Inanici, MD PhD finanici@uw.edu |
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https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05267951
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03184792
Past study: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04697472
Now Recruiting
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03184792 & NCT05267951
Stimulation of the spinal cord may induce the growth and reorganization of neural pathways leading to the re-animation of paralyzed limbs. Growing evidence indicates that electrical spinal cord stimulation improves motor functions immediately via modulating the excitability of spinal circuitry in patients with spinal cord injury. Recently, a novel, non-invasive, well-tolerated and painless transcutaneous electrical stimulation strategy was demonstrated to be effective for improving lower limb motor function in healthy individuals and in patients with spinal cord injury. The investigators hypothesize that transcutaneous cervical electrical stimulation can enhance conscious motor control and functions of hand and arm via neuromodulation of the spinal network.
This study is a prospective efficacy trial of transcutaneous cervical electrical stimulation for improving upper limb function in patients with traumatic or degenerative cervical spinal cord injury. Transcutaneous electrical spinal stimulation device is not regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of spinal cord injury.
The interventions include either transcutaneous cervical spinal electrical stimulation combined with physical therapy or physical therapy only. The order of the interventions will be randomized for each subject in a delayed cross-over design. The total duration of the study is 6 months, including 4 weeks baseline measurements, 8 weeks intervention and 12 weeks follow-up. Both immediate and lasting improvements in hand motor and sensory function via transcutaneous cervical spinal stimulation will be evaluated.
More information on our hand-function study is included in the videos and links below:
Videos from our 2021 study demonstrating improved hand function and reduced spasticity
Videos from our 2018 study demonstrating improved hand function and self-feeding
- Wired article about our work stimulating the spinal cord to improve hand function for people with spinal cord injury (Jan 29, 2021).
- Innovation Origins feature on our spinal stimulation work and collaboration with ONWARD Medical (Feb. 2021)
- News articles highlighting our use of transcutaneous stimulation to improve hand function after spinal cord injury (January 2020): Medical Press, Mirage News
- Popular Mechanics article highlighting spinal stimulation study improving hand function (Jan. 13, 2021)
- King5 TV news story about Joe Beatty’s experience in our spinal stimulation trial (Broadcast Nov. 14, 2018)
- SCI Forum Podcast by study participant Jon Schlueter (2019)
- SCI Forum Podcast interviewed UW researcher Chet Moritz (2018)
- http://centerforneurotech.org/news/story/new-non-invasive-treatment-people-spinal-cord-injury-featured-king-5-news
- http://www.csne-erc.org/feature-stories/new-approach-spinal-cord-rehabilitation-creates-gradual-changes-make-big-difference
Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation and Exercise for Locomotion
| Study Contact Soshi Samejima DPT PhD soshis@uw.edu |
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Now Recruiting
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03509558
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03509558
Growing evidence indicates that electrical spinal cord stimulation improves motor functions both immediately and over the long term via modulating the excitability of spinal circuitry in patients with spinal cord injury. Recently, a novel, non-invasive, well-tolerated and painless lumbosacral transcutaneous electrical stimulation strategy was demonstrated to be effective for improving lower limb motor function in participants with spinal cord injury. Our current project, cervical transcutaneous electrical stimulation and intensive exercise for arms and hands, is also revealing significant improvement of upper extremity function. Additionally, the subject and caregiver noted that stair climbing ability has been substantially enhanced starting from the first week of cervical stimulation treatment and continues to date.
This study is a prospective efficacy trial of combined transcutaneous cervical and lumbosacral electrical stimulation with intensive physical therapy for improving locomotion in people with incomplete tetraplegia and paraplegia.
This experiment design consists of two to four phase intervention program including one-month physical therapy (PT) only (A) followed by one-month spinal stimulation with PT (B). Between each intervention, washout periods of up to one month may be used to determine any after-effect of the interventions. The AB or BA interventions will be repeated if the functional improvement does not reach a plateau during the first two months of interventions. Sessions will last up to 2 hours/day, 2 to 5 days/week for each arm. Both immediate and lasting improvements in lower extremity function and autonomic function via transcutaneous spinal stimulation and intensive physical therapy will be evaluated.
Videos from our 2022 study demonstrating improved walking function after spinal stimulation