Actively Recruiting
A Comprehensive Assessment of Altered Embodiment in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury
Led by Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil · Updated on 2025-10-08
80
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
N/A
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when trauma or other factors damage the spinal cord, disrupting communication between the body and brain. This can lead to changes in body awareness called disembodiment, where sensations feel different or limbs seem out of place. The study aims to explore how SCI affects embodiment, its impact on daily life, and the related brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Both individuals with SCI and healthy participants will take part in this research. Participants will be divided into groups: some with SCI will undergo a detailed behavioral assessment of embodiment and sensory-motor symptoms, while others will also have brain activity measured through fMRI during a task involving a modified rubber hand illusion. Healthy controls will perform similar behavioral assessments, with some also undergoing fMRI. The fMRI task includes watching virtual legs being touched while their own legs are stroked to assess the feeling of embodiment. Each participant will attend one examination lasting about 2 to 2.5 hours, including approximately 55 minutes inside the MRI scanner. Researchers will evaluate responses to questionnaires measuring body feelings, pain, emotions, cognition, and daily functioning. Brain activity and embodiment strength will also be assessed. The study will monitor various physical, psychological, and quality of life aspects to understand how SCI changes body awareness.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
A Comprehensive Assessment of Altered Embodiment in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Age between 18 and 60 years
- Normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity
- German or Italian native speaker
- Diagnosis of traumatic spinal cord injury (for SCI participants)
- Lesion level below the first thoracic vertebra (T1) (for SCI participants)
- Time since injury of at least 12 months (for SCI participants)
- Residual sensation on the upper leg with sensory capability of 1 or higher in dermatomes L2 and L3 for light touch and pin prick (for SCI participants)
You will not qualify if you...
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Diagnosis of other psychiatric or neurological disorders such as epilepsy or brain tumors
- Active alcohol or drug abuse within the last 6 months
- Confirmed traumatic brain injury with visible brain changes
- Stroke
- Inability to perform study procedures or give consent
- Presence of active medical devices like cardiac pacemaker (for participants undergoing fMRI)
- Claustrophobia preventing fMRI procedures (for participants undergoing fMRI)
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - Single assessment session
Participants undergo a comprehensive behavioral assessment of embodiment and its effect on daily living, including evaluations of pain, interoception, emotions and anxiety, sleep quality, life satisfaction, and cognition.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - Single assessment session
Participants complete an MRI session to explore neural mechanisms of embodiment involving structural MRI, resting-state, and task-based fMRI, including a modified rubber hand illusion task.
1 visit (in-person, includes MRI scan)
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Swiss Paraplegic Research
Nottwil, Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, 6207
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
G
Giuseppe A. Zito, Dr.
N
Nicola Brunello, MSc
How is the study designed?
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Masking
N/A
Allocation
N/A
Model
N/A
Primary Purpose
N/A
Number of Arms
4
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