View clinical trials related to Spinal Cord Injuries.
Filter by:The Active Powered Prosthesis (APEX) (AbiliTech Medical Inc., Minneapolis, MN) is a proof-of-concept shoulder-elbow-wrist device intended to provide non-invasive active powered robotic assistive movement to upper extremities. The objective of this study is to perform focus groups with users and clinicians to evaluate a proof of concept active powered assistance device.
This study investigates the effect of upper extremity exercise on postprandial lipemia (PPL) in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Participants are measured at rest and fed a standardized meal following seated rest (CON) or arm cycling exercise (ACE). The meal is infused with "stable isotope lipid tracers" that allow for determination of the end fates of the fat in the meal.
The project will investigate whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can be used to potentiate/prime spinal cord injured patients' nervous systems for more intense rehabilitation exercise of longer duration - thus leading to greater recovery of motion function. The technique, in which a magnetic coil is positioned above the scalp and forms a magnetic field that activates the desired center of the brain (eg motor cortex), is used in clinical practice for the treatment of a number of disorders. However, although a combination of rTMS and gait training in SCI patients previously has proven beneficial, it is unknown whether additional functional gains can be achieved by combining rTMS and supervised, high-intensity resistance training. In this project, 30 newly-admitted patients will be recruited and randomized to receive either active rTMS and strength training (n = 15) or sham (imitated) rTMS + strength training, in parallel with standard care. The investigators hypothesize that the active rTMS group will have superior gains in locomotor function and muscle mass, compared to the sham group.
Spinal cord injury (SCI): The World Health Organization estimates an incidence of 250,000 to 500,000 per year worldwide. In Denmark 130 new cases of SCI per year. SCI is a devastating condition: paresis/paralysis of the skeletal muscles below the injury site, partial or complete inability to walk, move and/or feel. Other sequelae are: infections, lifestyle diseases (cardiovascular, diabetes, nephrologic disease), mental wellbeing/suicide-risk profoundly raised , quality of life, next-of-kin affection. Recovery of motor function is high clinical priority and crucial for improved ADL outcomes. Strength training regimens have shown improved muscle strength in healthy subjects using near-maximal voluntary effort contractions, and few studies have demonstrated similar effects in a SCI population. Atrophy and fatigability and spasticity may reduce practical implementation for rehabilitation. Therefore, low-load blood-flow restricted exercise (BFRE) may prove beneficial as supplement to traditional rehabilitation, increasing muscle strength and inducing hypertrophy in healthy persons. BFRE is performed as low-intensity strength training (20-30 % of max) while simultaneously involving the use of circumferential placement of cuffs during exercise, to maintain arterial inflow to the muscle while preventing venous return. Based on existing scientific evidence, BFRE is acknowledged as a safe regime without serious side effects. Previously, the method has shown increased muscle strength and inducing skeletal muscle hypertrophy in addition to improvement in gait performance in individuals with various diseases causing reduced mobility. Purposes of this PhD project: to investigate the feasibility and effects of BFRE in individuals living with the consequences of SCI.
This study is a controlled pragmatic implementation study in clinical practice, with a primary focus on cardiovascular risk reduction through adherence to behavioral interventions related to physical activity and healthy diet.The intervention is interdisciplinary, multimodal and patient activating and uses the existing setting and work flows at the clinic, ensuring that the patients receive education about cardiovascular risk factors, physical activity and healthy diet through a systematic approach including targeted patient education.
This is a single-cohort early feasibility trial to determine whether an investigational device called the Bidirectional Neural Bypass System can lead to the restoration of movement and sensation in the hand and wrist of up to three individuals with tetraplegia.
Robotic gait training is often used with the aim to improve walking ability in individuals with Spinal Cord Injury. However, robotic gait training alone may not be sufficient. This study will compare the effects of robotic gait training alone to robotic gait training combined with either low-frequency or high-frequency non-invasive transspinal electrical stimulation. In people with motor-incomplete SCI, a series of clinical and electrical tests of nerve function will be performed before and after 20 sessions of gait training with or without stimulation.
Persons with higher levels of spinal cord injury (above the 2nd thoracic vertebrae; tetraplegia) are unable to maintain normal core body temperature (Tcore) when exposed to cool environments. In persons with tetraplegia, even limited exposure to cool temperatures may cause Tcore to approach hypothermic values and impair cognitive performance. Conversely, an increase in Tcore from subnormal to normal range may improve cognitive performance. Prior work has shown that cool seasonal temperatures have an adverse effect on personal comfort and the ability to perform vital daily activities of self-care in persons with tetraplegia. Interventions that address the vulnerability to hypothermia are limited. A self-regulating heated vest designed specifically for persons with tetraplegia is a novel and promising strategy to address this problem. By more effectively maintaining Tcore, the vest can decrease the adverse impact of cool temperatures on comfort, quality of life, and performance of vital daily tasks for Veterans with tetraplegia during the cooler seasons.
It is recognised that weight gain is a common problem in patients with a spinal cord injury and can lead to an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome. Weight gain is thought to be attributed to excess calorie intake, reduction in energy requirements and / or a reduction in exercise. However, further understanding of this energy imbalance needs to be addressed. This feasibility study will initially determine if it is feasible to measure the 'actual' energy requirements of 15 paraplegic and 15 tetraplegic (ventilated and non-ventilated) in-patients during bed rest and rehabilitation following acute SCI. This preliminary data will be compared to 'predicted' energy expenditure levels. The calorie intake and body composition for each patient will be measured as well as factors indicative of metabolic syndrome. The study will initially provide statistical information in order to estimate the sample size required for a future definitive study.
This study tests the feasibility, safety and efficacy of garments embedding conductive electrodes (FES-shirt) for the independent delivery of functional electrical stimulation (FES). 12 people with SCI and 12 people with stroke who have some degree of arm paralysis will receive 40 hours of FES with these FES-shirt. The ability to use the FES-shirts and the improvement in function while receiving FES will indicate the immediate benefits. Their functional capabilities will be measured before and after 40 FES sessions to evaluate the carry-over effects.