Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation in Healthy Adults

November 20, 2023 updated by: Arun Jayaraman, PT, PhD, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Effect of Varying Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation Parameters and Location on Lower Extremity Motor Responses and Comfort

The goal of this study is to understand how transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) waveform, modulation frequency, and stimulation location impact lower extremity muscle activation and participant comfort in adults without neurologic conditions.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Investigators will use a test-retest design comparing neurophysiologic measures while receiving various combinations of stimulation waveforms, modulation frequencies, and stimulation locations to determine the settings which lead to the highest participant tolerance with the lowest lower extremity resting motor thresholds (RMTs).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

50

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 Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
        • Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-75 years old
  • Able and willing to give written consent and comply with study procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of stroke or neurologic pathologies (such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, etc.)
  • Pregnant or nursing
  • Skin allergies or irritation; open wounds
  • Utilizing a powered, implanted cardiac device for monitoring or supporting heart function (i.e. pacemaker, defibrillator, or LVAD)
  • History of seizures or epilepsy
  • Active cancer or cancer in remission less than 5 years
  • Metal implants in the back or spine
  • Painful musculoskeletal dysfunction due to injury or infection
  • Unstable cardiorespiratory or metabolic diseases (e.g. cardiac arrhythmia, uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes, or chronic emphysema)

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Carrier frequency + Waveform
Spinally Evoked Motor Potentials (sEMP) will be obtained while stimulating the spinal cord at a single site with single pulses. sEMP are the electromyograph responses of the peripheral muscles to electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. We will test various waveform combinations of biphasic and monophasic waveforms with modulation frequencies of 0-10 kHz. Participants will also ambulate while receiving continuous stimulation of the various waveform combinations to determine what stimulation intensity is comfortable for each combination. The order we complete this testing will be randomized. All participants will perform testing in a different order.
Device: Spinal motor evoked responses (sMERs)
Spinally Evoked Motor Responses (sMERs) will be obtained while stimulating with single pulses using various stimulation parameters. sMERs are the electromyograph (EMG) responses of the peripheral muscles to electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. sEMP will be used to test the integrity of the motor pathways of the spinal cord. This will be measuring by assessing the EMG responses in the lower limb muscles.
Device: Continuous stimulation tolerance
Participants may receive up to 45 min of locomotion training (treadmill or overground training) with transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation. The goal will be for the investigators to determine what amount of intensity at each stimulation site the individual finds to be comfortable enough that they would be able to receive without pain or discomfort
Experimental: Stimulation Location
Spinally Evoked Motor Potentials (sEMP) will be obtained while stimulating the spinal cord at various stimulation locations with single pulses. sEMP are the electromyograph responses of the peripheral muscles to electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. Participants will also ambulate while receiving continuous stimulation to various stimulation locations to determine what stimulation intensity is comfortable for each location. The order we complete this testing will be randomized. All participants will perform testing in a different order.
Device: Spinal motor evoked responses (sMERs)
Spinally Evoked Motor Responses (sMERs) will be obtained while stimulating with single pulses using various stimulation parameters. sMERs are the electromyograph (EMG) responses of the peripheral muscles to electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. sEMP will be used to test the integrity of the motor pathways of the spinal cord. This will be measuring by assessing the EMG responses in the lower limb muscles.
Device: Continuous stimulation tolerance
Participants may receive up to 45 min of locomotion training (treadmill or overground training) with transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation. The goal will be for the investigators to determine what amount of intensity at each stimulation site the individual finds to be comfortable enough that they would be able to receive without pain or discomfort

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Resting motor threshold
Time Frame: All study visits (1-10), over the course of up to 5 weeks
The RMT is the minimum intensity of stimulation required to evoke a motor response in the lower-limb muscles while the subject is at rest.
All study visits (1-10), over the course of up to 5 weeks
Continuous stimulation tolerance
Time Frame: All study visits (1-10), over the course of up to 5 weeks
Participants may receive up to 45 min of locomotion training (treadmill or overground training) with transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation. Participants will report what level of stimulation intensity they consider comfortable or tolerable (rating of less than 8 out of 10 on the Rating of Perceived Discomfort scale)
All study visits (1-10), over the course of up to 5 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Arun Jayarman, PT, PhD, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

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)

November 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 20, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 30, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

November 3, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

November 22, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 20, 2023

Last Verified

November 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • STU00219704

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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