Spinal Cord Associative Plasticity Study (NCT05163639)
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
Spinal cord associative plasticity (SCAP) is a combined cortical and spinal electrical stimulation technique developed to induce recovery of arm and hand function in spinal cord injury. The proposed study will advance understanding of SCAP, which is critical to its effective translation to human therapy. The purpose of the study is to: 1. Determine whether signaling through the spinal cord to the muscles can be strengthened by electrical stimulation. 2. Improve our understanding of the spinal cord and how it produces movement. 3. Determine whether spinal surgery to relieve pressure on the spinal cord can improve its function. Aim 1 is designed to advance mechanistic understanding of spinal cord associative plasticity (SCAP). Aim 2 will determine whether SCAP increases spinal cord excitability after the period of repetitive pairing. In rats, SCAP augments muscle activation for hours after just 5 minutes of paired stimuli. Whereas Aims 1 and 2 focused on the effects of paired stimulation in the context of uninjured spinal cord, Aim 3 assesses whether paired stimulation can be effective across injured cord segments. Aim 3 will incorporate the experiments from Aim 1 and 2 but in people with SCI, either traumatic or pre-operative patients with myelopathy in non-invasive experiments, or targeting myelopathic segments in intraoperative segments.
Who can join: Review the eligibility criteria below.
Location: Bronx Veterans Medical Research Foundation, Inc — New York, New York
Age range: 18 Years to 80 Years
🧪 Interventions in This Study
- Non-invasive pairing of cortical and spinal stimulation (PROCEDURE)
- Intraoperative pairing of cortical and spinal stimulation (PROCEDURE)
- Non-invasive repeated pairing of cortical and spinal stimulation (SCAP) (PROCEDURE)
- Intraoperative repeated pairing of cortical and spinal stimulation (SCAP) (PROCEDURE)
- Intraoperative repeated pairing of cortical and spinal stimulation (SCAP) at or below myelopathic region (PROCEDURE)
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistFull eligibility criteria are available on the official NIH protocol. View the criteria ↗
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (3 Sites)
- Bronx Veterans Medical Research Foundation, Inc — New York, New York
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center — New York, New York
- Weill Cornell Medicine — New York, New York
📞 Contact the Study Coordinator
Phone: (917) 301-1882
Email: jbc28@cumc.columbia.edu
Coordinator details come directly from the registered NIH protocol. Confirm the study is still recruiting before traveling.
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.
More studies in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
- Incomplete Cervical SCI Without Instability — San Francisco, California
- Spinal Cord Neuromodulation for Spinal Cord Injury — Los Angeles, California
- Rebuilding Inter-limb Transfer in Cervical SCI — Cleveland, Ohio
- Feasibility and Safety of a Combined Augmented Reality and Functional Electrical Stimulation System — Toronto, Ontario
- Efficacy of a Brain-Computer Interface Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury Neurorehabilitation — Tlalpan, Mexico City
Explore by condition: All Cervical Spinal Cord Injury clinical trials
💡 How to Participate
- Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
- Contact the study coordinator using the phone/email above.
- Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
- Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.