Actively Recruiting
Spine and Brain Stimulation for Movement Recovery After Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Led by Jason Carmel · Updated on 2025-10-30
20
Participants Needed
2
Research Sites
62 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
J
Jason Carmel
Lead Sponsor
N
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Stimulation of the spinal cord and brain represents a new experimental therapy that may have potential to restore movement after spinal cord injury. While some scientists have begun to study the effect of electrical stimulation on patient's ability to walk and move their legs after lower spinal cord injury, the use of stimulation of the upper (cervical) spine to restore arm and hand function after cervical spinal cord injury remains less well explored. The investigators are doing this research study to improve understanding of whether cervical spinal cord stimulation and brain stimulation can be used to improve arm and hand function. To do this, the investigators will combine spine stimulation (in the form of electrical stimulation from electrical stimulation wires temporarily implanted next to the cervical spinal cord) and brain stimulation (in the form of transcranial magnetic stimulation). The investigators will perform a series of experiments over 29 days to study whether these forms of stimulation can be applied and combined to provide improvement in arm and hand function.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Spine and Brain Stimulation for Movement Recovery After Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Patients aged 6518 years with incomplete traumatic spinal cord injury at levels between C4 to T1 incurred more than 1 year before the study
- At least 2/5 motor power in at least one upper extremity muscle group
- Upper Extremity Motor Score (ISNCSCI-UEMS) of 40/50 or less
- Ability to follow multistep commands
- Ability and willingness to provide informed consent
- English speaking
You will not qualify if you...
- Cervical or thoracic stenosis preventing safe lead placement
- Any ongoing continuous or intermittent ventilator use
- Urinary tract infection or pneumonia needing treatment within the past 3 months
- Skin ulcers or other skin lesions
- History of posterior cervical fusion
- Autonomic dysreflexia requiring treatment within past 3 months
- Implanted brain stimulators
- Intracranial aneurysm clips
- Ferromagnetic metallic implants in the head (except inside the mouth)
- Any active implanted device including intrathecal medication pumps or spinal cord stimulators (non-active spinal hardware allowed)
- Cochlear implants
- Cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator
- Any history of seizures
- Family history of idiopathic epilepsy in a first-degree relative
- Bipolar disorder
- Any history of suicide attempt
- Active psychosis
- Intracranial lesion or increased intracranial pressure
- History of stroke or intracranial neurologic conditions with structural damage
- Medications or substance use that lower seizure threshold (including heavy alcohol use)
- Moderate to severe heart disease
- Pregnancy or plans to become pregnant during the study period
- Any other medical or psychological condition that prevents study participation as judged by a physician
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 2 locations
1
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Irving Medical Center (NYPH/CUIMC)
New York, New York, United States, 10032
Actively Recruiting
2
NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital / Columbia University Irving Medical Center (NYPH/CUIMC)
New York, New York, United States, 10034
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
E
Evan F. Joiner, MD
CONTACT
E
Emelly Carrasco
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NA
Model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
1
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