View clinical trials related to Spinal Cord Injuries.
Filter by:The investigators have spent the last decade uncovering unique metabolic and functional abnormalities in the brains of patients with spinal cord compression. Degenerative spinal cord compression represents a unique model of reversible spinal cord injury. In the investigator's previous work, they have demonstrated that cortical reorganization and recruitment is associated with metabolic changes in the brains of patients recovering from spinal cord compression and is correlated with recovery and improved neurological scores. The goal of this study is to combine a rigorous platform of clinical care that includes preoperative evaluation, surgery, and rehabilitation, with state of the art imaging techniques to demonstrate how rehabilitative therapy can increase brain plasticity and recovery of neurological function in patients with spinal cord injury. Neurological function will be carefully evaluated in two groups of patients, those receiving rehabilitation and those not receiving rehabilitation after spine surgery, and will be correlated with the results of advanced imaging.
The purpose of this research study is to investigate the effectiveness of a combinatorial therapy of breathing low oxygen in short bursts-acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) and upper limb training on arm strength and function, and comparing it with individual treatments in persons with spinal cord injuries. The investigators hypothesize that a combinatorial intervention with AIH therapy + upper limb training will be significantly more effective in improving hand function, compared to individual treatments alone. To test this hypothesis, the investigators will determine the impact of combined daily AIH therapy and high-repetition task-specific upper extremity training on arm strength and hand dexterity in persons with spinal cord injuries.
The study is designed to investigate whether autonomic shifts (dysautonomia, sympatho-vagal instability) that develop after SCI have value in predicting SCI-associated infections (SCI-AI). SCI-AI impair outcomes by (1) reducing the intrinsic neurological recovery potential and (2) increasing mortality. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) data will be tracked in both the time and frequency domains to discriminate between the relative contribution of sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation to changes in HRV. The ability to predict infections will enable novel treatments thereby reducing infection-associated mortality and improving neurological and functional outcomes.
The purpose of this research study is to determine the effectiveness and safety of mirabegron compared to oxybutynin chloride immediate release (oxybutynin IR) for a condition called neurogenic detrusor overactivity in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI).
The main goal of this study is to compare the use of Avanafil versus Sildenafil in spinal cord injury erectile dysfunction. The study has the characteristics of a non- inferiority, randomized, crossover, open clinical trial. The principal variable is the IIEF-EF (Erectile Function Domain questionnaire of the International Index of Erectile Function IIEF). This is an interventional study
The immediate period after spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the only opportunities that clinicians and care-givers have to make a real difference to patient outcomes. One of the main aims during this period is to preserve blood flow and oxygen delivery to the spinal cord to prevent any further damage from occurring after the injury. The heart acts as the major pump for blood to be pumped to the spinal cord and the body. It has been shown in small animal models and in humans with long-standing SCI that the ability of the heart to pump blood after injury is compromised, which may in turn reduce the amount of blood and oxygen delivered to the injured cord. It is unclear how quickly these changes occur in the heart following SCI and how best to manage heart function such that blood flow and oxygen delivery can be optimized. In the present study, the investigators will examine how the heart functions immediately after SCI. The findings from this study are expected to provide new information that could help clinicians improve the management of people who have just suffered a SCI.
Traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) is a debilitating disease that leads to neurological deficits and often has long-term effects including severe lifelong disability. Given the devastating personal and economic consequences of SCI, it is critical to collect high-quality, prospective data. SCI has not been systemically assessed in Austria, and data regarding the etiology, incidence and prevalence are missing or significantly limited. More importantly to the individuals suffering from SCI, health care for SCI patients in Austria is not concentrated in specialized SCI centers but fragmented, which might result in a less effective recovery and rehabilitation of patients. Accordingly, the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg (PMU) and the Austrian Social Insurance for Occupational Risks (AUVA) initiated the Austrian Spinal Cord Injury Study (ASCIS) at the beginning of 2012. ASCIS is defined as an organized network that uses observational methods to collect uniform longitudinal clinical data that can provide insight into current patient care parameters and evaluates the outcome of SCI patients. ASCIS was initiated with the aim to develop a registry for patients with tSCI in Austria as a base for addressing research questions, improving patient outcomes and establishing a platform for future clinical trials. Furthermore, a major goal of ASCIS is to get knowledge about the natural recovery after spinal cord lesion in a larger population of patients in the sense of a historical control group and bring new standardized assessment tools to the clinical setting. Due to the involvement of acute trauma hospitals and rehabilitation centers, ASCIS is uniquely positioned to capture detailed hospital-related information on the (very)-acute, rehabilitation and chronic phases of tSCI patients. Additionally, ASCIS is cooperation partner of the European Multi-Center Study about Spinal Cord Injury (EMSCI).
Hypothesis of the Study: Based on the presented results, the investigator hypothesises that HBO preserves neurons that are not irreversibly damaged (i.e. severed) during initial trauma, thus enabling regain of their function. The investigator predicts that HBO treatment protects and enhances motor function in initially paralysed regions, including improvement in function of the extremities as well as recovery of urinary bladder control and bowel function. Outline of the Proposed Study: Within a prospective "proof of principle" trial, a total of 100 patients will be included. Fifty patients will be recruited at the Division of Thoracic and Hyperbaric Surgery, Medical University of Graz. In parallel, 50 control patients will be included at the Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Paracelsus University Salzburg, Salzburger Landeskliniken (SALK), Austria. Thereby, all patients that are admitted at the Medical University of Graz can be treated and the enrolment of 50 patients into the treatment group can be implemented within the outlined time frame. The active recruitment period is planned for three years. Both HBO treated and control patients will undergo the same surgical and nonsurgical procedures. HBO treatment will be started within 24 hours after the injury. A total of 21 consecutive daily sessions will be applied, followed by routine rehabilitation programmes. By matching control and HBO-treated patients, an evaluation of the treatment effect of HBO is possible. The outcome will be evaluated by implementing the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA)-scores and magnet resonance (MR) imaging. Additionally, inflammatory and regenerative blood markers will be analysed (neuroendocrine markers/neuro-transmitters: S100beta, Brain Derived Neurotrophic Growth Factor [BDNF], Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein [GFAP], Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), norepinephrine; array of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines).
The overall aim of this project is to assess the effect of combining transcutaneous lumbosacral stimulation (TLS) during Exoskeleton Assisted Walking (EAW) compared to EAW alone without stimulation on walking recovery.
The purpose of this study is to develop an algorithmic-based evaluation and treatment approach for wearable robotic exoskeleton (WRE) gait training for patients with neurological conditions.