View clinical trials related to Spinal Cord Injury.
Filter by:The overall goal of this project is to determine if non-ambulatory persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) who have already participated in at least 20 sessions of ReWalk training can be further trained to achieve more advanced skills for use in the home or work place environments and outdoor community mobility skills in the ReWalk exoskeleton.
The manifestation of weakness and involuntary reflexes following motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) may be partly a result of damage to descending pathways to the spinal cord that release serotonin. In models of SCI, for example, application of agents that simulate serotonin has been shown to modulate voluntary motor behaviors, including augmentation of walking recovery. In humans following neurological injury, the effects of 5HT agents are unclear. Few previous reports indicate improved motor function following administration of agents which enhance the available serotonin in the brain, although some data suggests that decreased serotonin may be beneficial. In this application, the investigators propose to study the effects of clinically used agents that increase or decrease intrinsic serotonin activity in the brain on strength and walking ability following human motor incomplete SCI. Using detailed electrophysiological recordings, and biomechanical and behavioral measures, the investigators will determine the effects of acute or chronic doses of these drugs on voluntary and involuntary motor behaviors during static and dynamic conditions. The novelty of this proposed research is the expectation that agents that enhance serotonin activity may increase abnormal reflexes in SCI, but simultaneously facilitate motor and walking recovery. Despite potential improvements in voluntary function, the use of pharmacological agents that may enhance spastic motor behaviors following SCI is in marked contrast to the way in which drugs are typically used in the clinical setting.
The primary goal of the proposed clinical trial is to investigate the combined effects of walking training and monoaminergic agents (SSRIs and TIZ) on motor function of individuals in sub-acute (2-7 mo) human motor incomplete Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), with a primary emphasis on improvement in locomotor capability. We hypothesize that the use of these drugs applied early following SCI may facilitate independent stepping ability, and its combination with intensive stepping training will result in improved locomotor recovery following incomplete SCI. Loss of descending control via norepinephrine inputs following spinal cord injury can impair normal sensorimotor function through depressing motor excitability and impairing walking capacity. Replacing these inputs with drugs can alter the excitability and assist with reorganization of locomotor circuits. Assessment of single-dose administration of these agents has been tested in patients with motor incomplete spinal cord injury; only limited changes in walking performance have been noted. The resultant onset of weakness and increase in involuntary reflexes following motor incomplete SCI may partly be a result of damage to descending pathways to the spinal cord that control the release of serotonin. In models of SCI, for example, application of agents that simulate serotonin has been shown to change voluntary motor behaviors, including improvement of walking recovery. In humans following neurological injury, the effects of 5HT agents are unclear. Few previous reports indicate improved motor function following administration of agents which enhance the available serotonin in the brain, although some data suggests that increased serotonin may be beneficial. In this application, we propose to study the effects of clinically used agents that increase or decrease intrinsic serotonin activity in the brain on strength and walking ability following human motor incomplete SCI. Using detailed electrophysiological recordings, and biomechanical and behavioral measures, we will determine the effects of single or chronic doses of these drugs on voluntary and involuntary motor behaviors during clinical measures and walking measures. The novelty of this proposed research is the expectation that agents that increase serotonin activity may increase abnormal reflexes in SCI, but simultaneously help to facilitate motor and walking recovery. Despite potential improvements in voluntary function, the use of pharmacological agents that may enhance spastic motor behaviors following SCI is in marked contrast to the way in which drugs are typically used in the clinical setting.
People with tetraplegia often retain some level of mobility of the upper body. The proposed study will test the hypothesis that it is possible to develop personalized interfaces, which utilize the residual mobility to enable paralyzed persons to control computers, wheelchairs and other assistive devices. If successful the project will result into the establishment of a new family of human-machine interfaces based on wearable sensors that adapt their functions to their users' abilities.
To determine the acute and chronic effects of a short course of treatment on spinal cord injured (SCI) individuals with either an anticholinergic agent (tiotropium) or with a β₂ agonist (Salmeterol) on: - Fraction of expired NO (FeNO) - Selected Biomarkers of inflammation in exhaled breath condensates (EBC) - Pulmonary function, as measured by pulmonary function tests and body plethysmography
Individuals with chronic cervical SCI are known to have a restrictive ventilatory defect due to complete or partial loss of respiratory muscle innervation which is dependent upon the level and completeness of injury [2]. In addition, they share many aspects of obstructive airway physiology commonly associated with asthma. In asthma, physiological responses such as decrease in baseline airway caliber, bronchodilatation following inhalation of a beta-2-adrenergic agonist or anticholinergic agent, airway hyperreactivity, are all closely related to airway inflammation. The cause of such inflammation is unclear, and may be multi-factorial and attributable to: recurrent respiratory infections due to inability to effectively clear secretions, unopposed parasymphathetic innervation, and loss of functional sympathetic innervation to the airways. Therefore, the investigators propose to test for the possible involvement the above mechanisms by pharmacological intervention, and to study effects of such intervention on overall pulmonary function and indirect measures of pulmonary inflammation: levels of FeNO, exhaled breath condensate (EBC) inflammatory biomarker profile, pulmonary function tests, and cellular profile of the induced sputum.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an implanted stimulator and sensor for providing hand and arm function for individuals with cervical level spinal cord injury.
ABSTRACT/EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BACKGROUND, SIGNIFICANCE & RATIONALE: Between 10-20% of the more than 6000 cases of spinal cord injury seen annually in the North America have the clinical pattern of traumatic central cord syndrome (TCCS). These patients are usually older, most likely have sustained a fall, and have incomplete spinal cord injury characterized by dysesthetic and weak upper extremities. CT scan of the cervical spine in patients with TCCS often shows disc/osteophytes complex superimposed on degenerative or congenital spinal stenosis and MRI reveals signal changes at one or multiple skeletal segments. A minority of these patients suffer from fracture/subluxations, however, this group of patients are younger and have been involved in a more dynamic trauma. Since 1951, when Schneider et al reported this syndrome, controversy has dominated its surgical management. The current "Guidelines for the Management of Acute Cervical Spine and Spinal Cord Injuries" recommendations are only at the level of options, since prospective outcome data are unavailable. HYPOTHESIS: in acute traumatic central cord syndrome, surgical decompression of the spinal cord within five days will result in more rapid motor recovery, than decompression 6 weeks following injury. To test this hypothesis, we will pursue the following specific aims: SPECIFIC AIM I: To compare American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Motor Scores after three months post injury in patients with central cord syndrome operated on within five days of injury to a similar group of patients operated on 6 weeks following injury. SPECIFIC AIM II: To compare functional outcome, health related quality of life and posttraumatic syrinx size in patients with traumatic central cord syndrome operated on within five days to a similar group of patients operated on 6 weeks following injury. DESIGN: Single center prospective randomized study. PROCEDURE: In a two-year period thirty patients with traumatic central cord syndrome and cord compression (15 patients in each group) will be randomized to undergo surgical decompression either within the first five days or at 6 weeks following spinal cord injury. ASIA motor, functional recovery and health related quality of life between the two groups will be compared at admission, discharge from rehab facility 3 months and 12 months after surgery.
Treadmill therapy has the potential to improve the physical fitness and voluntary function of incomplete-lesion spinal cord injured (SCI) patients. However, if it is to be offered as a rehabilitation strategy, evidence must be gathered to support its effectiveness. Present methods used to determine the efficacy of treadmill training do not provide accurate means of monitoring changes in physical fitness during the exercise, or to accurately measure the changes in voluntary muscle function which may occur during a training intervention. We are therefore currently recruiting subjects for a study investigating the feasibility of new methods for monitoring improvements in physical fitness during walking on a treadmill. We also aim to develop methods for monitoring changes in voluntary muscle strength. The bone density of both legs will also be measured to determine if any improvement has occurred following training.
The study will investigate the feasibility of using functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the calf muscles of paraplegic subjects to assist in posture stabilisation during standing. We aim to achieve postural stability by combining controlled FES of the lower-limb muscles with the voluntary motor control skills of the intact upper body.