Actively Recruiting
Functional and Structural Changes in the Central Nervous System Following Spinal Cord Injury
Led by University of Zurich · Updated on 2025-12-15
225
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
243 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
U
University of Zurich
Lead Sponsor
S
Swiss National Science Foundation
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Building on recent improvements, state-of-the-art functional MRI will be applied as an advanced diagnostic tool for the lumbosacral cord in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients to characterize the remaining neuronal activity of the motor and sensory neurons. Alterations in the activity pattern will reveal the effect upon task-related spinal cord activity of the lower motor neurons and sensory neurons undergoing trauma-induced neurodegeneration, at a spatial specificity that has not been possible so far. Results of this study will be of crucial importance because SCI patients can only profit from regeneration-inducing therapies if spinal neuronal function is preserved below the level of lesion.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Functional and Structural Changes in the Central Nervous System Following Spinal Cord Injury
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Age > 18 years
- Informed consent provided
- Willing to participate and follow study requirements
- For cross-sectional study: chronic traumatic spinal cord injury (> 12 months) or degenerative spondylotic myelopathy
- For longitudinal study: acute traumatic spinal cord injury (< 2 months) or neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction undergoing routine tibial nerve stimulation at Balgrist University Hospital
You will not qualify if you...
- Age < 18 years
- Contraindications for MRI such as pacemaker or metallic foreign body
- No informed consent
- History of psychiatric or neurological disease other than SCI-related
- History of skull surgery or head trauma
- Known or suspected drug or alcohol abuse
- Inability to follow study procedures due to language, psychological disorders, or dementia
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Intention to become pregnant during the study
- Body mass index (BMI) > 35
- Individuals requiring special protection according to Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences guidelines
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Balgrist University Hospital
Zurich, Switzerland, 8008
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
G
Gergely David, Dr.
CONTACT
C
Christian Kuendig, MSc
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Masking
N/A
Allocation
N/A
Model
N/A
Primary Purpose
N/A
Number of Arms
6
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