Early and Intensive Upper Limb Motor Training to Improve Arm and Hand Function After Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

What this Trial Is About

This research investigates recovery of arm and hand function in people with cervical spinal cord injury SCI, focusing on neurological changes that might improve independence and quality of life. It explores how early and intensive motor training can affect both central and peripheral nervous systems. The study aims to understand brain and nerve changes after this therapy, and how these relate to motor recovery, using advanced clinical and neurophysiological measures in a randomized controlled trial with 44 participants. Participants are assigned to one of two groups an intervention group receiving an additional 6 hours of targeted upper limb motor training weekly for 8 weeks alongside usual rehabilitation, and a control group receiving only standard care. The training is personalized and goal-directed, focusing on muscles below the injury level and functional activities. This early and intensive program starts within 13 weeks of injury, with measurements taken before, during, and after the 8-week training period, plus a 6-month follow-up. During the study, participants undergo assessments including brain stimulation tests, nerve function evaluations, and clinical motor function tests before starting, at 4 weeks, at the end of 8 weeks, and again 6 months later. Outcomes measured include changes in motor thresholds, nerve responses, muscle strength, and functional independence. The study monitors safety and tracks participant progress to understand the relationship between therapy dose and recovery in arm and hand function after cervical SCI.

Neural Plasticity and Motor Recovery After Upper Extremity Motor Training in People With c-SCI