Actively Recruiting
Ultrasound for Quantifying Muscle Activation Elicited by Spinal Cord Stimulation and Functional Electrical Stimulation
Led by North Carolina State University · Updated on 2025-10-14
30
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
52 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
N
North Carolina State University
Lead Sponsor
U
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Transcutaneous (non-invasive) spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has been shown to facilitate volitional motor activity in patients with spinal cord injury. tSCS is known to activate the same neural structures as invasive SCS, meaning it may have the potential for functional restoration without an expensive surgical implant. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is also used in therapy for patients with spinal cord injury to locally activate paralyzed or weakened muscles. There is evidence that combining FES and tSCS may elicit greater muscle activation than either modality alone. The objective of this study is to quantify the torque at the ankle joint generated by tSCS, by FES, and by tSCS + FES. Additionally, ultrasound images will be collected during stimulation to provide a metric of muscle activity. The correlation between ultrasound and torque will be assessed to determine if ultrasound is a useful modality for quantifying tSCS-elicited muscle activity.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Ultrasound for Quantifying Muscle Activation Elicited by Spinal Cord Stimulation and Functional Electrical Stimulation
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Between 18 and 60 years of age
- Weight less than 220 lb
- Healthy and able to walk at preferred speed without an assistive device
- Able to tolerate functional electrical stimulation and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation
You will not qualify if you...
- Active infection
- History of cancer
- Broken skin, sores, or areas of acute eczema near electrode sites
- Metal implants such as staples or pins near electrode sites
- Any neurological disorders
- Difficulty walking or orthopedic conditions that impede normal walking
- Absent sensation in lower extremities or trunk
- Allergies to adhesive skin tapes or ultrasound gels
- Heart conditions
- Implanted electronic devices such as pacemaker
- Current pregnancy
- No physiological response to functional electrical stimulation or transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Engineering Building III
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, 27695
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
N
Nitin Sharma, Ph.D.
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NA
Model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary Purpose
OTHER
Number of Arms
1
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