Effect of Prolonged Electrical Stimulation on Neural Plasticity in Spinal Cord Injury

May 9, 2017 updated by: VA Office of Research and Development

Effect of Prolonged Electrical Stimulation on Neural Plasticity in SCI

Electrical stimulation (pulses of electricity applied over the skin of your wrist) and activity-based hand exercise have been shown to improve motor skill and strength in individuals with stroke and have recently been shown to also have an effect on individuals with spinal cord injury. Therefore, the purpose of this research study is to investigate whether electrical stimulation alone or electrical stimulation followed by activity-based training produces gains in pinch strength (how hard you can squeeze your thumb and pointer finger together) and upper extremity function (how well your arm and hand can perform activities) in individuals with spinal cord injury.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects 10,000 individuals per year in the United States. Approximately one half of all individuals with SCI have tetraparesis due to cervical injury. Impaired hand function significantly limits the ability of individuals with cervical SCI to perform manual activities of daily living which affects these individuals physically, psychologically and socially. Preliminary research by this investigator suggests that somatosensory stimulation combined with activity-based training improves hand function and strength in individuals with incomplete cervical SCI. Further investigations on these novel techniques are warranted due to the need to establish proven effective rehabilitation techniques that promote recovery of function in individuals with SCI.

The purpose of this research study is to: 1)determine if somatosensory stimulation in the form of prolonged, peripheral nerve electrical stimulation can enhance the effect of an upper extremity activity-based training program in individuals with incomplete cervical SCI, and if so, 2) identify the operative neural mechanisms underlying the changes induced with the application of somatosensory stimulation.

The hypotheses of this study are that individuals with incomplete cervical SCI:

  1. a 6-week period of somatosensory stimulation of the hand, either alone or combined with activity-based training, will produce improvements in behavioral outcomes that are significantly greater than those produced by activity-based training preceded by a sham stimulation period
  2. this behavioral improvement will be associated with greater changes in cortical excitation than will be observed in subjects receiving activity-based training preceded by a sham stimulation period.

The specific objectives of this study are to:

  1. Recruit male and female volunteers with spastic paresis due to incomplete SCI with impaired hand function, and randomize subjects into 1 of 3 groups, each of which receives 6 weeks of upper extremity training for 3 sessions/week, as follows: a) somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the level of the wrist (2 hours/session); SS group b) somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the wrist (2 hours/session) followed by an activity-based upper extremity training program (1 hour/session); SS+ABT group and c) sham somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the wrist (2 hours/session) followed by an activity-based upper extremity training program (1 hour/session); ABT group then carry out training in the 3 subject groups simultaneously, each group consisting of 2 subjects at a time, with 2 sets of subjects/year over a 2-year period, yielding a target sample of 36 subjects.
  2. Conduct pre-and post-training assessments of behavioral outcomes using Wolf Motor Function Test and Jebsen Taylor Hand Function test to measure upper extremity function, hand-held dynamometry to measure pinch grip strength, and Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament Testing to measure sensory function.
  3. Conduct pre-and post-training assessments of supraspinal motor recruitment, including motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes in response to transcranial magnetic stimulation and extent and duration of cortical silent period in response to transcranial magnetic stimulation; and spinal motoneuron excitability measured by F-wave amplitude and persistence.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

11

Phase

  • 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
    • Florida
      • Miami, Florida, United States, 33125
        • VA Medical Center, Miami

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Trace voluntary thumb movement or able to pick up small objects with a tenodesis grip
  • Between ages 18 and 60
  • Spastic paresis (manifest as spasms, clonus, and/or hyperreflexia) due to neurologically incomplete SCI
  • Medically stable
  • Communicate questions/needs and answer yes/no questions reliably.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Altered cognitive status
  • Level of injury caudal to the C7 level
  • History of CVA, seizures
  • Implanted metal devices in the head, less than one year post injury, and severe spasticity of the muscles of the upper extremities (defined by a score of 2 or higher on the Modified Ashworth Spasticity Scale)
  • Patients with pacemakers will also be excluded from this study.

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Arm 1
6 weeks of upper extremity training for 3 sessions/week, as follows: a) somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the level of the wrist (2 hours/session);
Behavioral: Somatosensory Stimulation and Massed Practice Training
a) somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the level of the wrist (2 hours/session); SS group b) somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the wrist (2 hours/session) followed by an activity-based upper extremity training program (1 hour/session); SS+ABT group and c) sham somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the wrist (2 hours/session) followed by an activity-based upper extremity training program (1 hour/session); ABT group then carry out training in the 3 subject groups simultaneously, each group consisting of 2 subjects at a time, with 2 sets of subjects/year over a 2-year period, yielding a target sample of 36 subjects.
Active Comparator: Arm 2
a 6-week period of 2 hours somatosensory stimulation of the hand, without training
Behavioral: Somatosensory Stimulation and Massed Practice Training
a) somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the level of the wrist (2 hours/session); SS group b) somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the wrist (2 hours/session) followed by an activity-based upper extremity training program (1 hour/session); SS+ABT group and c) sham somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the wrist (2 hours/session) followed by an activity-based upper extremity training program (1 hour/session); ABT group then carry out training in the 3 subject groups simultaneously, each group consisting of 2 subjects at a time, with 2 sets of subjects/year over a 2-year period, yielding a target sample of 36 subjects.
Placebo Comparator: Arm 3
a 6-week period of 2 hours sham somatosensory stimulation of the hand, followed by 1 hour of activity-based training
Behavioral: Somatosensory Stimulation and Massed Practice Training
a) somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the level of the wrist (2 hours/session); SS group b) somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the wrist (2 hours/session) followed by an activity-based upper extremity training program (1 hour/session); SS+ABT group and c) sham somatosensory stimulation of the median, ulnar and radial nerves at the wrist (2 hours/session) followed by an activity-based upper extremity training program (1 hour/session); ABT group then carry out training in the 3 subject groups simultaneously, each group consisting of 2 subjects at a time, with 2 sets of subjects/year over a 2-year period, yielding a target sample of 36 subjects.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Conduct pre-and Post-training Assessments of Behavioral Outcomes Using Wolf Motor Function Test and Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test to Measure Upper Extremity Function, Hand-held Dynamometry to Measure Pinch Grip Strength, and Semmes-Weinstein Monofilam
Time Frame: Outcome measures: baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, post testing, 6 weeks post testing
Outcome measures: baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, post testing, 6 weeks post testing

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

VA Office of Research and Development

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

October 1, 2006

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 12, 2006

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 12, 2006

First Posted (Estimate)

October 13, 2006

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 16, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 9, 2017

Last Verified

May 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • B4439-R

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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