Functional Electrical Stimulation Plus High Intensity Interval Training at Home

August 14, 2026 updated by: Kristin Musselman, University Health Network, Toronto

Combining Functional Electrical Stimulation With High Intensity Interval Training at Home

People living with SCI may experience loss of sensation, movement and regular body function. One way to address these impairments is activity-based therapy (ABT), which includes movement-based activities that promote the muscle-brain connection below the level of injury. A technology often used during ABT is functional electrical stimulation (FES), which is an electrical stimulus applied to nerves or paralyzed muscles through sticky gel pads placed on the skin. The purpose of this multi-method pilot study is to look at the safety, interest in and acceptance of an at-home, virtual training program that combines FES with high intensity interval training (HIIT). Up to 24 individuals with SCI will be enrolled in the study. The study activities will span over 34 weeks, from pre-training tests to the 12-week follow-up tests.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

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.

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 (Estimated)

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.
24

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4G 3V9
        • KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Kristin E Musselman, PhD

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Be an adult (i.e., ≥18 years old) with a SCI at T12 or above as individuals with a lower motor neuron condition are considered poor candidates for FES.
  2. Have a SCI rated as American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A, B, C or D. If no recent (i.e., in past six months) AIS rating is available in the medical record, the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) exam (Rupp et al. 2021) will be completed by the research team.
  3. Be >1 year post-injury, in the case of traumatic SCI, or >1 year post-onset of neurological symptoms, in the case of a non-progressive, non-traumatic cause of SCI.
  4. Be able to attend 8 assessment sessions and three education sessions at the Lyndhurst Centre or Rumsey Cardiac Rehab, as well as 36 FES+HIIT@Home sessions and one education session on Microsoft Teams.
  5. Be ambulatory or use a manual wheelchair.
  6. Be able to don/doff electrodes independently or with support from a family member or other caregiver.
  7. Have physician clearance to participate in high intensity interval training (i.e., no contraindications to HIIT).
  8. Have an emergency contact who can be reached by the research team during FES+HIIT@Home sessions.
  9. Able to understand spoken English.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Presents with contraindications to FES (i.e. implanted electronic device, radiation in past six months, active deep vein thrombosis, pregnancy) (Houghton et al. 2010).
  2. Presents with cognitive deficits that would prevent independent use of an FES device.
  3. Has irritated and/or damaged skin in areas where the electrodes will be applied.
  4. Has a cardiovascular morbidity that would limit exercise tolerance, as identified through pre-intervention cardiorespiratory fitness testing (e.g., complex arrhythmias).
  5. Participant receives a Botox injection or begins a new therapy or exercise program during the first 20 weeks of the study (i.e., prior to the post-intervention assessments).

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: Other
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

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: FES+HIIT@Home
Functional electrical stimulation combined with high intensity interval training at home
Other: FES+HIIT@Home
The FES+HIIT@Home intervention will be 16 weeks in duration. During the first four weeks of the FES+HIIT@Home intervention (i.e., weeks 3-6), participants and caregivers who will be assisting will receive education and hands-on training with FES and HIIT exercises. Each participant will receive a two-channel FES device to keep (i.e., Chattanooga® Continuum). During weeks 7-18, participants will complete 36 online, group-based FES+HIIT@Home sessions (i.e., three 1-hour sessions/week for 12 weeks) that are led by trainers over Microsoft Teams. Sessions will include warm-up exercises (10 minutes), three task-specific exercises (15 minutes/exercise) and cool-down exercises (5 minutes). Each task-specific exercise will be performed in 30-second "all out" bouts with a 1.5-minute rest after each bout.

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
Enrollment rates
Time Frame: During enrollment
Number of participants screened per month (plus reasons for exclusion) and the number of participants enrolled per month
During enrollment
Adherence
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Session attendance (plus reasons for absences) and assessment attendance (plus reasons for omissions)
From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Feasibility of FES+HIIT@Home
Time Frame: During the FES+HIIT@Home intervention
Number of sessions in which each participant achieves the targeted "all out" RPE (and HR for those with lower thoracic SCI)
During the FES+HIIT@Home intervention
Attrition
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Number of participants who drop out of the study and the reasons for drop out
From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Safety of FES+HIIT@Home
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Number of minor and serious adverse events
From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Function for participants unable to stand
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of the 12-week follow-up at 34 weeks
Function will be assessed with the Function in Sitting Test (FIST-SCI) for participants unable to stand. The FIST-SCI assesses postural control during functional sitting activities. Items are rated on the amount of assistance required to accomplish each task on a 5-point scale of 0 (complete assistance - patient cannot perform the task at all) to 4 (independent - patient completely autonomous in performing the task). Scores can be summed for a total score ranging from 0 to 56.
From enrollment to the end of the 12-week follow-up at 34 weeks
Function for participants able to stand
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Function will be assessed with the mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (mini-BESTest) for participants who are able to stand. The mini-BESTest assesses a variety of functional activities in standing and walking. The Mini BESTest is scored on a 3-level ordinal scale (0 to 2). Scores can be summed for a total score between 0 and 28.
From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Muscle Strength
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Isometric strength of the trunk, upper limb and lower limb muscles will be evaluated with manual muscle testing (MMT) and/or hand-held dynamometry. Testing positions will be standardized, following guidelines of the ISNCSCI, as appropriate, and strength scored on a 0 to 5 scale. Muscles with a MMT score of ≥4 will also be assessed with hand-held dynamometry, which is a valid assessment method that has greater sensitivity to detect changes in the strength of stronger muscles. Three peak force values will be collected per muscle group and the mean value normalized by body weight.
From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Penn Spasm Frequency Scale
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
The Penn Spasm Frequency Scale is a valid and reliable self-report measure that evaluates an individual's perception of spasticity frequency (on a 5-point scale from 0 (no spasms) to 4 (spontaneous spasms occurring ≥10 times/hour)) and severity (on a 3-point scale from 1 (mild) to 3 (severe)). A spasm severity rating will not be provided if spasm frequency is 0.
From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Spinal Cord Assessment Tool for Spastic Reflexes
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
The Spinal Cord Assessment Tool for Spastic Reflexes is a short clinical exam of three spastic motor behaviors in the lower limb of individuals with SCI: clonus, flexor spasms and extensor spasms. The reactions observed for each motor behavior will be rated on a 4-point ordinal scale and summed for a total score (/9).
From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Exercise Self-efficacy Scale
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Exercise self-efficacy will be assessed with the SCI Exercise Self-efficacy Scale, which assesses confidence in performing exercise. Participants will rate their confidence, on a scale from 1 (not always true) to 4 (always true), for ten statements related to carrying out regular exercise and physical activity. Reponses are summed for a total score (/40).
From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Cardiorespiratory fitness
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
VO2peak (mL/kg/min), will be evaluated with a maximal graded exercise test. Breath-by-breath gas samples will be collected and averaged over 20 seconds via a calibrated metabolic cart to determine V̇O2peak.
From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Arterial stiffness
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Pulse wave velocity (PWV, m/s) will be obtained between the common carotid and common femoral arteries (cfPWV). cfPWV (m/sec) will be calculated using the equation: (0.8 × D)÷Δt, where D is the distance between measurement sites and Δt is the pulse transit time.
From enrollment until the end of the study at 34 weeks
Description of the contexts that impact outcomes of FES+HIIT@Home
Time Frame: After 24 sessions (or 8 weeks) of the FES+HIIT@Home intervention and at the 12-week follow-up at 34 weeks
To describe the contexts (e.g., virtual setting, group sessions) that impact outcomes from the perspectives of people with SCI
After 24 sessions (or 8 weeks) of the FES+HIIT@Home intervention and at the 12-week follow-up at 34 weeks
Description of the mechanisms that impact outcomes of FES+HIIT@Home
Time Frame: After 24 sessions (or 8 weeks) of the FES+HIIT@Home intervention and at the 12-week follow-up at 34 weeks
To describe the mechanisms (e.g., FES, HIIT, education) that impact outcomes from the perspectives of people with SCI
After 24 sessions (or 8 weeks) of the FES+HIIT@Home intervention and at the 12-week follow-up at 34 weeks

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.
University Health Network, Toronto

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: Kristin E Musselman, PhD, University Health Network, Toronto

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 (Estimated)

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.
October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
July 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
July 1, 2028

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).
August 11, 2026

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.
August 14, 2026

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.
August 19, 2026

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.
August 19, 2026

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.
August 14, 2026

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.
August 1, 2026

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.
  • 26-5324

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The de-identified, quantitative datasets will be shared through the Open Data Commons for Spinal Cord Injury (odc-sci.org) and supplementary files will be made available in the publications.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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