Active clinical trials for "Spinal Cord Injuries"

To determine whether functional electrical stimulation (FES) promotes neurological and physical recovery in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The researchers will investigate the extent of functional recovery in patients with spinal cord injury who receive functional electrical stimulation in the upper extremities compared with patients who do not receive FES.

This study would focus on adding a group exercise program to the usual therapy delivered in the hospital. We propose to design an exercise program that would be 30 minutes in length, 3 times per week. A medical doctor and physiotherapist would oversee the design and monitoring of the program. We believe that this program will: 1) Increase the potential for better health, thus improving independence and quality of life; 2) Help people make the move from therapist run exercise to self management of exercise; 3) Engage the patient in the therapy process and place an expectation of active participation on the client; and 4) Promote physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle.

The overall goal of Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Spinal Cord Injury (TRACK-SCI) study is to determine the relationships among the clinical, neuroimaging, cognitive, genetic and proteomic biomarker characteristics of acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). TRACK-SCI seeks to combine high quality care variables with high density physiology data collection to better understand diagnose, characterize, and track the temporal profile of recovery for SCI patients. The Investigators are enrolling patients within 24 hours of injury who present to a TRACK-SCI site with a spinal cord injury that meets eligibility criteria.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the novel treatment of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could decrease the pain perception of those with spinal cord injury. We will also determine whether these changes are correlated with the clinical outcome (pain reduction).

The LIFT Home Study is an observational, single-arm study designed to assess the safety of non-invasive electrical spinal stimulation (ARC Therapy) administered by the LIFT System to treat upper extremity functional deficits in people with chronic tetraplegia.

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the effects upon the bladder of electric stimulation of the leg's tibial nerve in people with acute spinal cord injury with an intervention called transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS).

This is a randomized, experimental study that examines the physiology of central nervous system pathways contributing to the control of bilateral movements in individuals with spinal cord injuries and promotes the recovery of lower-limb motor function through the use of stimulation and locomotor training.

There is a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Switzerland. In indoor-athletes as well as wheelchair users, vitamin D deficiency occurs even more often. It is well established that vitamin D deficiency has a negative effect on health. However, vitamin D supplementation in individuals with a vitamin D deficiency has a positive effect on muscle performance. In recently published studies with able-bodied subjects, it has been shown that a normal vitamin D level (>75nmol/L) can only be achieved with a high-dose supplementation of vitamin D. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on exercise performance in wheelchair athletes with vitamin D deficiency . All participants with a vitamin D deficiency are assigned to the intervention group and treated with 6000 IU of vitamin D3 daily over a period of 12 weeks. All participants who have a normal vitamin D level will receive placebo treatment (control group). The physical performance is measured three times at baseline, after six weeks and 12 weeks. The measurements include a Wingate and a dynamometer test.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) interrupts descending synaptic pathways from brainstem premotor neurons to spinal motor neurons, thereby paralyzing muscles below the neurological level. In recent years, considerable evidence has demonstrated that acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) elicits plasticity in the spinal cord and strengthens spare synaptic pathways which is expressed as respiratory and somatic functional recovery in animals and humans suffering from incomplete SCI. The fundamental hypothesis guiding this project is that AIH-induced motor plasticity can be "harnessed" to improve walking capacity in incomplete SCI patients, classified as C and D categories according to International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI). The inclusion criteria include patients > 18 years-old, with traumatic or non-traumatic, non-progressive incomplete SCI, onset > 6 months, neurological level C5-T12, with walking ability with or without assistive devices, without joint contractures, orthopedic injuries, osteoporosis, cutaneous lesions, cardiopulmonary complications and a body weight below 150 Kg. A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled parallel design study will be done including 100% of patients fulfilling the criteria. Participants will receive repetitive acute intermittent hypoxia (rAIH: 15 episodes of 90 second 9% inspired oxygen interspersed with 90-second normoxia) or repetitive continued normoxia (rSham: 21% inspired oxygen) combined with 45 minutes body weight-supported treadmill training on 5 consecutive days and then three times per week for 3 weeks. Primary outcome measurement will be the 10-meter walking test. Secondary outcome measurements include the 6-minute walking test, timed up and go test, body/weight load, modified ashworth scale and visual analog scale. All outcomes will be measured before beginning the protocol (baseline), after five days of AIH/Sham (D5), weekly up to the end of the study (W2-W4), and a post-study follow-up for 2 weeks (F1-F2). Aditionally, cognitive assesment before and after the study will be performed using the "Figura compleja de Rey-Osterrieth" and the "Test de aprendizaje verbal España Complutense (TAVEC)". Repetitive AIH and body weight-supported treadmill training may represent a novel, safe, and noninvasive potential therapy to partially restore walking function in incomplete sub-acute and chronic SCI patients, a population with limited, if any, potential for improved function.

Despite the strong business case of hiring people with disabilities, a significant proportion of youth with disabilities leave high school and neither work nor continue their education and are unprepared to meet the demands of a work environment. Although youth with disabilities have much to gain from employment readiness programs, they are often excluded from, or have limited access to school and community vocational programs. One encouraging approach to address gaps in vocational programming is through peer mentoring, which may facilitate a smoother transition to adulthood by offering support to enhance coping skills. Despite the increase in online communities, little is known about their impact on vocational mentoring for youth with physical disabilities and their parents. The purpose of this study is to develop, implement and assess the feasibility of an online peer mentor employment readiness intervention for youth with physical disabilities and their parents to improve their self-efficacy, career maturity and social support.