Spinal Neurorehabilitation for Veterans With SCI

Conditions

• Spinal Cord Injuries

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - N/A

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Neurophysiological and anatomical testing — DIAGNOSTIC_TEST
  All participants will undergo neurophysiological testing (transcranial magnetic stimulation and somatosensory evoked potentials) to determine residual neural connectivity. All participants will also undergo MRI of the spine to evaluate residual neural connections and changes above and below lesion. These values will be compared to the standard clinical evaluation of spinal cord injury (ISNCSCI exam).
• Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation — DEVICE
  All participants will undergo spinal neuromodulation through non-invasive transcutaneous spinal stimulation to determine the effects on voluntary motor function, sensation, and activities of daily living.

Study Details

Chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating disorder in Veterans and the broader U.S. population that does not have a cure. Veterans with severe SCI demonstrate permanent loss of sensory and motor function below their injury resulting in decreased quality of life and independence. Recently, electrical spinal neuromodulation has emerged as a potential approach to restore voluntary motor function and locomotion in persons with chronic SCI. However, spinal neuromodulation has yet to translate to clinical use due to small sample sizes in research studies and a lack of information on which patients would benefit. Here, the investigators propose a novel approach to evaluate the priorities and barriers faced by Veterans with SCI to use spinal neuromodulation, understand the neural connections remaining in Veterans with severe SCI, and determine potential functional improvements using non-invasive spinal neuromodulation technology. This research represents the first step towards deploying techniques that could dramatically improve function and quality of life for Veterans with SCI.

Key Dates

First listed

Oct 29, 2025

Start date

Aug 31, 2026

Status verified

Aug 2026

Primary completion

Jun 30, 2031

Completion

Jun 30, 2031

Study Design

Enrollment

40 participants (estimated)

Allocation

NA

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

• Experimental: Single-arm
  This is a single-arm study where all participants will undergo the same neurophysiological, imaging, and functional testing.

Primary Outcome Measure

Axial completeness of chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) based on spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [ Time Frame: 5 years ]

Central Contacts

• Jonathan S Calvert, PhD MD
  (916) 843-7512
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in Sacramento, CA

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