Clinical Trials

Transcutaneous Electrical Spinal Stimulation to Restore Upper Extremity Functions in Spinal Cord Injury

Study Contact
Fatma Inanici, MD PhD
finanici@uw.edu
fatma-inanici

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

Clinical Trial UE 2

Transcutaneous stimulation on upper extremity. Photo by Matt Hagen.

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

Media coverage of our recent studies

 

Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation and Exercise for Locomotion

Study Contact
Soshi Samejima DPT PhD
soshis@uw.edu
soshi-samejima

Now Recruiting 

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03509558

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03509558

Clinical Trial LE

Transcutaneous stimulation on lower extremity. Photo by Matt Hagen.

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