View clinical trials related to Spinal Cord Injury.
Filter by:The goal of this project is to evaluate the Smart Wheelchair Component System (SWCS) for power wheelchairs and the Smart Power Assistance Module (SPAM) for manual wheelchairs in realistic indoor environments with target users performing realistic tasks. We will combine group trials involving individuals who have a visual impairment (but do not have a mobility impairment) with several single-case studio involving individuals who have a visual and mobility impairment. Our long-term objective is to provide independent mobility to veterans with mobility and sensory impairments.
The purpose of this study is to modify and develop measures that reflect outcomes that are relevant to recovering Veterans and are sensitive to improvements resulting from innovative gait interventions.
As clinicians, it is often a struggle to find effective pain control for a certain subgroup of patients with tetraplegia. These patients often have severe upper back, neck, and shoulder pain, limiting rehabilitation productivity and potential, and always limiting quality of life. This pain appears to be primarily musculoskeletal. Muscles in the upper back and neck become shortened, rock hard, and extremely tender with even the slightest touch or stretch. Refractory to multiple classes of medications, modalities, and other treatments, patients truly suffer-not only from pain, but from fatigue, sedation, expense, and loss of useful rehabilitation time due to attempted remedies. Unfortunately, this subgroup of patients is not small and the problem is significant, as anyone who specializes in the treatment of spinal cord injury patients will recognize. In search for another form of treatment, botulinum toxin A (BTXA) may be promising for pain control in that group of patients with tetraplegia whose pain has proven to be refractory to treatment. It did not take long searching the literature to find compelling evidence that BTXA may have another mechanism of action for direct pain control, apart from its well known mechanism for spasticity control. Clinically, it is increasingly being recommended and used for this purpose. In fact, one of the specific indications now recognized by most for BTXA treatment is for myogenic pain due to short, tight, strained muscles-just as we see with our population. Yet, it's application has not been studied in people with tetraplegia. Thus, the genesis of the project and the hope to help our patients evolved. Study hypotheses: - In addition to traditional treatments used for pain control, injection of BTXA into cervical and upper back muscles will effectively reduce cervical/shoulder pain severity reported by individuals with cervical spinal cord injuries, regardless of the etiology of pain. - Pain reduction secondary to the use of BTXA will be associated with a decrease in total analgesic medication use among SCI patients during acute inpatient rehabilitation. - BTXA to treat cervical/shoulder pain will increase active participation in the rehabilitation program for individuals with tetraplegia during inpatient rehabilitation.
Regular exercise is strongly recommended to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, children and young adults with damaged spinal cords may not be able to exercise regularly. However, there is an exercise bike specially designed for persons with damaged spinal cords that enables them to pedal by directly stimulating the muscles in their legs. Our study is designed to determine the benefits of exercise for Spinal Cord Injured (SCI) patients using this bike.
The study aims to compare a newly developed system for transanal colonic irrigation (Peristeen Anal Irrigation) with a bowel management regime that does not include irrigation in a prospective, randomized trial in spinal cord lesion patients (SCL- patients) with faecal incontinence and/or constipation. Population; 80 SCL- patients with faecal incontinence and/or constipation from five countries. Focus on: Bowel symptom score Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction score Symptom related quality of life questionnaire Time expenditure for performance of bowel care ans side effects
The purpose of this proposal was to evaluate and compare the health benefits of using upper extremity exercise versus functional electrical stimulation for lower extremity exercise. It was our hypothesis that both Functional Electrical Stimulation Leg Cycle Ergometry (FES LCE) exercise and voluntary Arm Crank Ergometry (ACE) upper extremity exercise would increase whole body energy expenditure, thereby increasing muscle mass, insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness and improving lipid profiles in adults with paraplegia.
It has long been recognized that co-morbidity associated with multiple metabolic syndrome, such as adverse body composition, insulin resistance and autonomic nervous system impairment, may lead to significant increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is unclear whether the co-morbidity evident in this population are due directly to their immobility or are the result of unfavorable changes in their underlying hormonal milieu. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of testosterone replacement therapy in hypogonadal males on: body composition, i.e. lean tissue and fat mass, glucose tolerance, resting energy expenditure, autonomic-cardiovascular integrity, muscular strength, psychological assessment
The overall objective of this research project is to examine the clinical efficacy of lower extremity cycling with functional electrical stimulation to improve the health and fitness of children with spinal cord injuries (SCI). To achieve this goal, a controlled, randomized study will be conducted with thirty children who have sustained a spinal cord injury. The children in the study will be assigned to one of three groups: those receiving functional electrical stimulation (FES) leg cycling exercise, those receiving passive leg cycling, and a non-cycling control group receiving electrical stimulation therapy to generate muscle contractions in the lower extremity. All three groups will be balanced as to the amount of time they receive the specific therapy. All therapies, after initial assessment, will be conducted at home in order to foster changes in lifestyle that may prove to be essential for improved quality of life. The specific aims of this proposal are delineated below: Aim 1: To assess, by means of a randomized controlled study design, the ability of FES cycling to improve the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems of ten children with a spinal cord injury, as compared to ten children undergoing passive leg cycling exercise and ten children receiving electrical stimulation therapy alone. Aim 2: To determine, by means of a randomized controlled study design, the feasibility of using FES leg cycling exercise to provide long-term health benefits and improve the neurologic status of ten children with a spinal cord injury, as compared to ten children undergoing passive leg cycling exercise and ten children receiving electrical stimulation therapy alone.
The aim of this investigation is to determine the blood pressure response to NOS inhibition, with L-NAME, in persons with tetraplegia compared to non-SCI control subjects and to establish if blood pressure can be increased while upright in those with tetraplegia. If blood pressure is increased with NOS inhibition in persons with tetraplegia, this would improve our treatment of the condition of low blood pressure during seated postures in individuals with tetraplegia.
The purpose of this study is to determine if exercise affects the clotting of blood (hemostasis). The effect of exercise on hemostasis will be determined in persons with spinal cord injury, a population reported to have an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is expected that this study will increase our understanding of CVD in persons with SCI, and it will eventually help reduce the occurrence of premature heart disease.