Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

This project aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of using a short-acting drug to reduce the maximal blood pressure during dangerous blood pressure spikes that happen during bowel care in individuals with spinal cord injury. the investigators will monitor the physiological effects of this drug during at-home bowel care to best understand the drug's effects in typical use.


Clinical Trial Description

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of sublingual nitric oxide (NO) donor spray on cardiovascular changes triggered by bowel care. Hypothesis: NO donor spray will lower the maximum blood pressure spikes during high blood pressure events triggered by bowel care in people with spinal cord injury. Justification: In people with spinal cord injury, episodes of high blood pressure are common during strong sensory stimuli such as those present during routine bowel care. These episodes of high blood pressure can be dangerous due to the magnitude of blood pressure increase and because they can be accompanied by irregular heart beats. This condition, known as autonomic dysreflexia (AD), is most common in individuals with high-level injuries. The experience of autonomic dysreflexia can vary widely between individuals: some have goosebumps, sweating, facial flushing or headaches, while others have no symptoms at all, despite their changes in heart rate and blood pressure. One possible approach to help manage AD is the use of fast-acting, short-term vasodilators such as nitric oxide (NO) donors (e.g. glyceryl trinitrate, GTN) to decrease blood pressure during AD experienced during bowel care. This approach is already part of the clinical recommendations for management of AD during bowel care, and yet its safety and efficacy have never been tested during at-home bowel care. Currently, a sublingual GTN spray is not often used in the home setting, although it is thought that using this medication might reduce the cardiovascular effects of bowel care after spinal cord injury. The long-term consequences of these short-term elevations in blood pressure during autonomic dysreflexia are not fully understood, but given that they are often associated with discomfort, and have been known to be associated with more severe events such as stroke, it would be beneficial to reduce their occurrence during daily care routines. Objectives: The investigators aim to evaluate whether GTN improves AD during normal at-home bowel care. Research Design: The study is a randomised placebo-controlled double-blind crossover clinical trial to evaluate the effect of sublingual GTN (spray) on beat-to-beat cardiovascular responses to normal bowel care in 26 individuals with chronic high-level SCI who are known to have AD. Statistical Analysis: Data will be analysed using R statistical software. Mean maximum blood pressure and mean drop in systolic blood pressure will be calculated. Mean time to onset of drug action will also be calculated. A paired t-test will be used to determine if there is a significant within-participant difference in the change of mean maximum blood pressure values or mean drop in systolic blood pressure between the placebo and the GTN conditions. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA will be used to compare symptoms, test conditions, and test phases. Categorical data will be analysed with Spearman's rank correlations and linear regressions to determine if any findings correlate with biological variables including level of injury, sex, and cardiovascular variables. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT05635851
Study type Interventional
Source Simon Fraser University
Contact Victoria Claydon, Dr.
Phone 778-782-8513
Email victoria_claydon@sfu.ca
Status Not yet recruiting
Phase Phase 2
Start date September 2024
Completion date February 2025

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Active, not recruiting NCT06321172 - Muscle and Bone Changes After 6 Months of FES Cycling N/A
Completed NCT03457714 - Guided Internet Delivered Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy for Persons With Spinal Cord Injury: A Feasibility Trial
Recruiting NCT05484557 - Prevention of Thromboembolism Using Apixaban vs Enoxaparin Following Spinal Cord Injury N/A
Suspended NCT05542238 - The Effect of Acute Exercise on Cardiac Autonomic, Cerebrovascular, and Cognitive Function in Spinal Cord Injury N/A
Recruiting NCT05503316 - The Roll of Balance Confidence in Gait Rehabilitation in Persons With a Lesion of the Central Nervous System N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT05506657 - Early Intervention to Promote Return to Work for People With Spinal Cord Injury N/A
Recruiting NCT03680872 - Restoring Motor and Sensory Hand Function in Tetraplegia Using a Neural Bypass System N/A
Recruiting NCT04105114 - Transformation of Paralysis to Stepping Early Phase 1
Completed NCT04221373 - Exoskeletal-Assisted Walking in SCI Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation N/A
Completed NCT00116337 - Spinal Cord Stimulation to Restore Cough N/A
Completed NCT03898700 - Coaching for Caregivers of Children With Spinal Cord Injury N/A
Recruiting NCT04883463 - Neuromodulation to Improve Respiratory Function in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury N/A
Active, not recruiting NCT04881565 - Losing Balance to Prevent Falls After Spinal Cord Injury (RBT+FES) N/A
Completed NCT04864262 - Photovoice for Spinal Cord Injury to Prevent Falls N/A
Recruiting NCT04007380 - Psychosocial, Cognitive, and Behavioral Consequences of Sleep-disordered Breathing After SCI N/A
Active, not recruiting NCT04544761 - Resilience in Persons Following Spinal Cord Injury
Completed NCT03220451 - Use of Adhesive Elastic Taping for the Therapy of Medium/Severe Pressure Ulcers in Spinal Cord Injured Patients N/A
Terminated NCT03170557 - Randomized Comparative Trial for Persistent Pain in Spinal Cord Injury: Acupuncture vs Aspecific Needle Skin Stimulation N/A
Recruiting NCT04811235 - Optical Monitoring With Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Spinal Cord Injury Trial N/A
Recruiting NCT04736849 - Epidural and Dorsal Root Stimulation in Humans With Spinal Cord Injury N/A