Exploring Brain and Spinal Cord Stimulation to Improve Muscle Function in Adults with Spinal Cord Injury and Able-Bodied Adults

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are exploring the effects of different types of stimulationmagnetic stimulation to activate the brain, electrical spinal cord stimulation, and electrical muscle stimulationon people with spinal cord injury SCI and able-bodied individuals. The study focuses on activating muscles in the arms, legs, and trunk to understand how these stimulations impact neuromotor function in these groups. Participants will receive interventions including intermittent theta burst stimulation iTBS, functional electrical stimulation FES, and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation TSCS. Each treatment uses devices that apply magnetic or electrical pulses to activate specific brain regions, spinal cord areas, or muscles. There is also a sham iTBS group where a magnetic coil is placed but no stimulation is given. Each participant will attend at least 9 sessions over two months, with each visit lasting about 2 to 3 hours. Participants are grouped based on their injury status and ambulatory ability. During the study, participants will undergo assessments including the nine-hole peg test, foot tapping test, Function in Sitting Test for people with SCI, and Motor Evoked Potential measurements. These tests will be conducted at the start and throughout the two-month period to monitor changes. The study will evaluate how the different stimulations affect motor function and neuromuscular responses over time.

A Novel Repetitive Synchronized Associative Stimulation Neuromodulation Approach for Spinal Cord Injury Patients