Investigating the Efficacy of rTMS Treatment in Improving Motor Function After Spinal Cord Injury: A Placebo-controlled Study

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age over 18 years and less than 80 years
• Chronic patients with an incomplete cervical and/or thoracic spinal cord injury (traumatic and non-traumatic) affecting upper and/or lower extremities (i.e., C4-T12 and classified as ASIA C or D) (Figure 138).
• Capable and willing to provide informed consent and able to adhere to the treatment schedule
• Patients who can be followed for the whole duration of the study

6.3 Exclusion criteria

• Contraindication to rTMS:

  • past severe head trauma
  • history of epilepsy or ongoing epilepsy
  • active cerebral tumor
  • intracranial hypertension
  • implanted ferromagnetic devices such as cardiac pacemaker and neurostimulator and cochlear implants
  • pregnancy or lactation.

• Any clinically significant or unstable medical or psychiatric disorder

• Other ongoing research protocol or recent past protocol within two months before the inclusion

• History of treatment with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

• Subjects protected by law (guardianship or tutelage measure)

• History of substance abuse (alcohol, drugs)

• Pending litigation

• Impossibility to understand the protocol or to fill out the forms

• Chronic use of sedative medication

• Participation in another clinical trial evaluating spinal cord injury

History of severe allergic reactions to study medication Currently pregnant or breastfeeding Recent participation in another clinical trial within the last 30 days Presence of uncontrolled medical conditions that could affect safety