View clinical trials related to Spinal Cord Injury.
Filter by:This study will evaluate the effect of single transplantation of HuCNS-SC cells into the thoracic spinal cord of patients with sub-acute spinal cord injury.
Video-urodynamic investigations are regarded as the current standard diagnostics for neurogenic bladder dysfunction in patients with spinal cord injury. This examination is exact, but time consuming, costly and associated with the risk of urinary tract infection. In patients with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostate hyperplasia, sonographic measurement of bladder wall thickness has been demonstrated to be able to replace urodynamic testing for the diagnosis of infravesical obstruction. Hypothesis: measurement of bladder wall thickness in patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction due to spinal cord injury is closely related to the known risk factors for upper urinary tract deterioration (bladder compliance, detrusor leak point pressure) in this group of patients and can therefore replace urodynamic examination in selected cases.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the incidence of reflux in patients with spinal cord injury in relation to the lesion level, duration of injury and bladder management
The purpose of this study is to: 1. Measure the pressure in the spinal fluid surrounding the spinal cord to find out how well the spinal cord is being supplied with blood. 2. Determine how drugs called "vasopressors", which are used to control blood pressure following SCI (spinal cord injury), influence spinal fluid pressure. 3. Characterize the severity of an SCI using the levels of specific proteins found within the spinal fluid. 4. Predict how much neurologic recovery may be regained using the levels of specific proteins within your spinal fluid. 5. Identify proteins within the spinal fluid that will help us learn more about what is happening after SCI and assist us in developing new treatments for SCI.
This study is designed to assess the safety of intravenous autologous adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells transplant in spinal cord injury patients.
The goal of the study is to determine whether repeatedly breathing low oxygen levels for brief periods (termed intermittent hypoxia) will improve limb function after spinal cord injury. This idea stems from animal studies on respiration, in which investigators have shown that mild intermittent hypoxia improves breathing in spinally injured rats. These studies have shown that intermittent hypoxia induces spinal plasticity, strengthening neural connections and motor neuron function within the spinal cord. Exposure to mild intermittent hypoxia triggers a cascade of events, including increased production of key proteins and increased sensitivity of spinal cord circuitry necessary for improved breathing. The ultimate goal of this research is to assess the potential of mild intermittent hypoxia as a therapeutic approach to stimulate recovery of limb function in human patients.
The goal of the study is to examine the effects of repeated breathing episodes of mild intermittent hypoxia (reduced oxygen) training on hand strength and grasping ability following cervical spinal injury, and to determine whether these changes result in improved hand function. If so, such changes may indicate hypoxia-induced spinal plasticity (ability of the nervous system to strengthen neural pathways based on new experiences), which could result in improvements in hand use for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Background: People with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at risk for many health conditions, some of which can be decreased with exercise. Cycling with Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is one way to obtain exercise after SCI. However, cycling with FES has only been done one way, which involves pedaling more quickly with less force to work against. Pedaling more slowly would allow the person to work against more force, which may lead to greater improvements in bone mineral density and muscle size. It may also lead to greater changes in bone make-up, body fat, and cholesterol levels. All of these improvements may lead to a decrease in bone fractures and cardiovascular disease, two major medical issues that exist in the SCI population. Study Aims: This study will compare the outcomes on bone, muscle and cardiovascular health between the commonly used method of pedaling more quickly to a new method of pedaling more slowly. Both groups will work against the maximal force possible. It is expected that the group pedaling more slowly will work against greater force and thus will have improved outcomes compared to other group pedaling faster. Methods: Twenty people with SCI, ages 18-65 years, will be randomly assigned to a treatment group and will participate in three 60-minute sessions per week for 6 months at an outpatient rehabilitation center. All subjects must have complete paralysis of both legs, but may have sensation preserved. Before and after 6 months of exercise, subjects will have an MRI scan to assess muscle size and bone, a dexascan to assess bone, a strength test using electrical stimulation to assess muscle force, an analysis of fat free body tissue, and lab work to measure cholesterol, bone factors that provide insight into bone change, and nutritional status. Relevance: If the protocol of pedaling more slowly results in greater improvements, this technique can be applied to clinical practice. Some people with SCI have FES cycles in their homes and many have been cycling for many years. This new technique may allow them to obtain more benefits than what they currently are receiving from FES cycling. In addition, it is important to maintain overall bone, muscle and cardiovascular health so that people with SCI are health and ready when spinal cord regeneration becomes clinically available.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) usually affects young people and causes severe bowel and bladder dysfunction. Recently, the concept of a surgically created somat-sensory reflex arch for bladder dysfunction in SCI has been introduced. The concept is promising, not just for bladder but also for bowel dysfunction. However, well designed studies need to be performed before recommending the procedure to a large number of patients worldwide. In this study we perform multidisciplinary studies providing necessary information about the clinical outcome of the somato-sensory reflex arch in adult SCI patients. The hypothesis is as follows: 1. In a "western setting" the somato-sensory reflex arch can be created in adult SCI patients with only minor morbidity and complications. 2. Somato-sensory reflex arch reduces bladder and bowel symptoms in SCI patients.
The study is a multi-centre, assessor-blind, randomised controlled phase III trial in patients with with complete or incomplete spinal cord injury between C6 and T12. A total of 188 participants will be randomised into two groups, the experimental group and the control group. The control group participants will receive an upper body strength and fitness program, conducted for 2-3 hours, three times per week for 12 weeks, while the experimental group participants will receive a comprehensive full body exercise program, conducted for 2-3 hours, three times per week for 12 weeks. The main objective of this study is to determine if the experimental exercise program is more effective than the upper body strength and fitness program in promoting neurological improvement in participants with spinal cord injury. Total study duration is 3.5 years, including a 24 month recruitment period, a 12-week treatment period followed by 6 month and 12 month (from baseline) follow up assessments. Participants will be assessed by a blinded assessor (the assessor will not know which group the participants are in) using standard physiotherapy, neurophysiological, fitness and functional tests, psychological and quality of life questionnaires, as well as tests of immune function and bone structure.