EMG Triggered Closed-Loop Stimulation for Spinal Cord Injury Individuals

October 1, 2020 updated by: Noam Y. Harel, Bronx VA Medical Center

Most individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) have residual nerve circuits. The investigators aim to strengthen those circuits to improve motor recovery after injury. To do this, the investigators are attempting to pair electrical and magnetic stimulation with physical training targeted toward the connections between nerve circuits. Past studies by other groups have shown that synapse strength can be improved temporarily after a short period of paired stimulation between the brain (motor cortex) and the peripheral nerves serving target muscles - in other words, "Fire Together, Wire Together".

The brain's intention to move a muscle can be read by recording surface electrical activity over target muscles (electromyography or EMG). In animal models of SCI, scientists have successfully used target muscle EMG to trigger spinal cord electrical stimulation pulses while the animals perform physical exercises. Using the body's own signals to trigger nerve stimulation is called "closed-loop stimulation". This might be an optimal method to coordinate brain and nerve activity, especially with the clinical advantage of being possible to combine with physical exercise training. However, whether EMG-triggered closed loop stimulation has the same amount of effect when applied non-invasively in humans is still unknown.

This proposed study is a proof-of-principle to demonstrate the potential of non-invasive closed-loop stimulation in humans with incomplete cervical SCI. We will test different combinations of triggered and non-triggered electrical and magnetic stimulation, and record the short-term effects on nerve transmission and skilled function of hand muscles. This pilot study will be a foundation for future studies combining EMG-triggered stimulation with long-term physical exercise training.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

In both animal models and humans with spinal cord injury (SCI), synaptic efficacy between corticospinal axons and spinal motor neurons has improved temporarily after a short period of paired stimulation between motor cortex and spinal or peripheral sites. In a demonstration of closed-loop stimulation in SCI rats, target muscle electromyography (EMG) signals were used to trigger spinal cord electrical stimulation while performing physical retraining. Results showed that EMG-triggered stimulation plus physical retraining led to greater motor recovery than non-triggered stimulation or physical training alone. However, these studies used invasive direct spinal cord stimulation in rodent models. Whether this approach can work non-invasively in humans remains unknown.

Twenty participants (10 able bodied and 10 SCI subjects) will be recruited. Each subject will undergo five different 20-minute interventions. Stimulation will be delivered at the motor cortex via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), the median nerve, or both. Stimulation will occur either while the subject is passively at rest or triggered by reaching endogenous EMG threshold during a pinch task. Outcomes will be measured at baseline and every 20 minutes for one hour after the intervention.

The investigators hypothesize that for at least 20 minutes after stimulation, one session of EMG-triggered stimulation will significantly improve motor evoked potential amplitude, increase cortical silent period duration, and decrease time required to complete a pegboard task compared with one session of passively delivered stimulation. The investigators further hypothesize that EMG triggered median nerve stimulation alone will provide equal or greater benefits as EMG triggered TMS or EMG-triggered paired stimulation.

Hypothesis 1: One session of EMG-triggered stimulation will significantly improve motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude, increase cortical silent period duration of APB, and decrease time required to complete a manual pegboard task compared with one session of passively delivered stimulation or one session of voluntary contraction alone for at least 20 minutes post-stimulation.

Hypothesis 2: EMG-triggered PNS alone will result in equal or greater effects than EMG triggered TMS or TMS+PNS paired stimulation. This would indicate that EMG triggered PNS might be used as a potential intervention to add during physical training, a setting in which TMS is difficult to apply.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
8

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • Bronx, New York, United States, 10468
        • James J. Peters VA Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 75 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18 and 75 years;
  • Chronic (more than 12 months since injury) motor-incomplete SCI between neurological levels C2-C8
  • Score of 3 or more (out of 5) on manual muscle testing of finger extension, finger flexion, or finger abduction in left or right hand;
  • Detectable F-wave responses of the left or right abductor pollicis brevis (APB) to median nerve stimulation;
  • Detectable motor evoked potentials in left or right APB;
  • Able to perform thumb-middle finger opposition pinch task with detectable APB EMG muscle activity.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Multiple spinal cord lesions;
  • History of seizures;
  • Ventilator dependence or patent tracheostomy site;
  • Use of medications that significantly lower seizure threshold, such as tricyclic antidepressants, amphetamines, neuroleptics, dalfampridine, and bupropion;
  • History of stroke, brain tumor, brain abscess, or multiple sclerosis;
  • History of moderate or severe head trauma (loss of consciousness for greater than one hour or evidence of brain contusion or hemorrhage or depressed skull fracture on prior imaging);
  • History of implanted brain/spine/nerve stimulators, aneurysm clips, ferromagnetic metallic implants, or cardiac pacemaker/defibrillator;
  • Significant coronary artery or cardiac conduction disease;
  • Recent history (within past 6 months) of recurrent autonomic dysreflexia, defined as a syndrome of sudden rise in systolic pressure greater than 20 mm Hg or diastolic pressure greater than 10 mm Hg, without rise in heart rate, accompanied by symptoms such as headache, facial flushing, sweating, nasal congestion, and blurry vision (this will be closely monitored during all screening and testing procedures);
  • History of bipolar disorder;
  • History of suicide attempt;
  • Active psychosis;
  • Heavy alcohol consumption (greater than equivalent of 5 oz of liquor) within previous 48 hours;
  • Open skin lesions over the face, neck, shoulders, or arms;
  • Pregnancy
  • Unsuitable for study participation as determined by study physician.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
  • Allocation: NA
  • Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
  • Masking: NONE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
EXPERIMENTAL: All subjects
All subjects undergo same full protocol, including PNS and TMS at rest and active hand movements (signals from thumb muscle) triggered PNS and TMS.
Device: hand movements (signals from thumb muscle) triggered PNS and TMS

PNS, TMS or PNS+TMS will be delivered while the participant performs specific finger tasks at different degrees of effort.

This is an experiment designed to detect momentary changes in muscle function.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle response to single pulses of TMS
Time Frame: Assessed pre, then 0, 20, 40, and 60 minutes post-intervention.
Assessed pre, then 0, 20, 40, and 60 minutes post-intervention.
Hand dexterity
Time Frame: Assessed pre, then 0, 20, 40, and 60 minutes post-intervention.
Timed performance on a grooved pegboard task.
Assessed pre, then 0, 20, 40, and 60 minutes post-intervention.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Grip strength
Time Frame: Assessed pre, then 0, 20, 40, and 60 minutes post-intervention.
Strength will be quantified using hand-held wireless dynamometry.
Assessed pre, then 0, 20, 40, and 60 minutes post-intervention.
Change in the duration of the 'cortical silent period' after TMS stimulation during APB contraction
Time Frame: Assessed pre, then 0, 20, 40, and 60 minutes post-intervention.
Assessed pre, then 0, 20, 40, and 60 minutes post-intervention.
F-wave responses of the APB muscle
Time Frame: Assessed pre, then 0, 20, 40, and 60 minutes post-intervention.
Assessed pre, then 0, 20, 40, and 60 minutes post-intervention.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Bronx VA Medical Center

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Noam Y Harel, MD, PhD, James J. Peters VA Medical Center

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (ACTUAL)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 1, 2018

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 28, 2020

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 28, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 14, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 14, 2019

First Posted (ACTUAL)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 16, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 5, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 1, 2020

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Wu-17-18

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

A Limited Dataset (LDS) will be shared in electronic format pursuant to a VA-approved Data Use Agreement. Individually Identifiable Data will be shared pursuant to valid HIPAA Authorization, Informed Consent, and an appropriate written agreement limiting use of the data to the conditions as described in the authorization and consent, and a written assurance from the recipient that the information will be maintained in accordance with the security requirements of 38 CFR Part 1.466.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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