Active clinical trials for "Spinal Cord Injuries"

This is a double-armed, Phase I/II trial aims to compare bone marrow and leukapheresis as sources for purified, autologous CD34+ and CD133+ stem cells (SCs), to be utilized in treatment of patients with chronic complete spinal cord injuries (SCI). The study focuses on the safety and efficacy of transplanting un-manipulated, autologous, purified stem cells into the injured spinal cords of patients.

Aim of the current study is to evaluate the effect functional electrical stimulation and therapeutic exercise on traumatic spinal cord injured participants'skeletal muscle characteristics, sitting balance, lung function and quality of life.

The primary objective of this study is to achieve successful walking skills using exoskeletal walking devices over the course of 36 sessions in 3 months at specific velocities and distances in people with chronic SCI who are wheelchair dependent for community mobility. The secondary objectives are to determine if this amount of exoskeletal walking is effective in improving bowel function and body composition in the same patient population. The exploratory objectives are to address additional questions concerning the retention or non-retention of the positive changes, the effects of the increased physical activity from this intervention on vagal tone, orthostatic tolerance, lipid profile, total testosterone, estradiol levels, and quality of life (QOL). A Phase III randomized clinical trial (RCT) will be performed using a crossover design and employing an exoskeletal-assisted walking intervention. The experimental arm will be compared to a usual activities (UA) arm, as the control, in 64 persons with chronic SCI (>6 month post injury) who are wheelchair-dependent for outdoor mobility in the community. The WALK arm will consist of supervised exoskeletal-assisted walking training, three sessions per week (4-6 h/week) for 36 sessions for their second 12-week period. The UA arm will consist of identification of usual activities for each participant, encouragement to continue with these activities and attention by study team members throughout the 12-week UA arm. These activities will be recorded in a weekly log. The investigators hypotheses are that 1) this exoskeletal intervention will be successful in training ambulatory skills in this patient population, 2) the exoskeletal intervention will be better than a control group in improving body composition, bowel function, metabolic parameters and quality of life in the same population.

The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of IV minocycline in improving neurological and functional outcome after acute non-penetrating traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). The primary hypothesis is that intravenous minocycline twice daily (800 mg initial dose tapered to 400 mg by 100 mg at each dose then administered to the end of day 7) administered to subjects with acute traumatic non-penetrating cervical SCI starting within 12 hours of injury will improve motor recovery as assessed by the International Standards for Neurologic Classification of Spinal Cord Injury - ISNCSCI (a.k.a. ASIA) neurological examination measured between 3 months and 1 year post-injury, compared to placebo. The secondary hypotheses are that the above minocycline treatment will also results in improvement in ASIA sensory improvement, in ASIA grade and in functional outcome as assessed by Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) and Short Form 36 (SF-36), compared to placebo. In addition the effect of minocycline on neurological and functional outcome after SCI is expected to be more pronounced in those subjects with motor incomplete SCI compared to those with motor compete SCI. A subgroup analysis will be undertaken to examine this hypothesis.

Sublesional bone loss after acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is sudden, progressive, and dramatic. After depletion of bone mass and the loss of architectural integrity, it may be difficult, if even possible, to restore skeletal mass and strength. Denosumab is a relative new, highly potent anti-resorptive agent that has proven efficacy in postmenopausal osteoporosis to improve bone mass and in solid tumor patients to prevent a skeletal-related event to a greater extent than that with bisphosphonate administration. In persons with complete motor lesions, bisphosphonates have not been effective at reducing bone loss at the knee, the site of greatest relevance because of its increased risk of fracture. Anti-RANKL therapy appears to be more potent than bisphosphonates in animal models of bone loss due to immobilization, suggesting that treatment with denosumab may prove to be an efficacious therapy for persons with acute SCI to preserve bone mass and strength.

Bone loss is a common secondary complication of spinal cord injury (SCI), and treatments used to reverse this condition have equivocal effectiveness. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of intense multi-modal training on bone health, body fat, and quality of life in persons with SCI. Participants will complete 6 months of training during which various measures will be obtained at 0, 3, and 6 months. Control subjects are also being recruited to complete testing but not participate in training.

Until now, there's still no any strong evidence supported "which is the best way to restoration walking ability" in spinal cord injury. Most of the evidence suggest that, there is somehow better after gait rehabilitation for ASIA classification C and D but not improved walking ability for ASIA classification A and B. There is an RCT showed the evidence of repetitive locomotor training and physiotherapy could be improved walking and basic activities of daily living after stroke, these might be also really effect in SCI patients.

Compromised respiratory function as a result of tetraplegia is a leading cause of rehospitalisation for the tetraplegic patient group. Electrical stimulation of the abdominal muscles has previously been used to improve the respiratory function of tetraplegic patients in the chronic stage of injury. In this study the investigators aim to evaluate the optimum protocol for the use of electrical stimulation of the abdominal muscles to improve the respiratory function of the tetraplegic population. The investigators also aim to investigate whether abdominal functional electrical stimulation combined with mechanical insufflation-exsufflation can be used to help further improve the respiratory function of the tetraplegic population.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether an aerobic and resistance training program or a functional electrical stimulation-assisted Walking program is more effective for reducing health complications related to spinal cord injury, for example, the occurrence of bladder infections, pressure sores and/or frequency of spasms. It is hypothesized that the functional electrical stimulation-assisted walking will have a greater impact on secondary complications than the aerobic and resistance training program.

ABSTRACT/EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BACKGROUND, SIGNIFICANCE & RATIONALE: Between 10-20% of the more than 6000 cases of spinal cord injury seen annually in the North America have the clinical pattern of traumatic central cord syndrome (TCCS). These patients are usually older, most likely have sustained a fall, and have incomplete spinal cord injury characterized by dysesthetic and weak upper extremities. CT scan of the cervical spine in patients with TCCS often shows disc/osteophytes complex superimposed on degenerative or congenital spinal stenosis and MRI reveals signal changes at one or multiple skeletal segments. A minority of these patients suffer from fracture/subluxations, however, this group of patients are younger and have been involved in a more dynamic trauma. Since 1951, when Schneider et al reported this syndrome, controversy has dominated its surgical management. The current "Guidelines for the Management of Acute Cervical Spine and Spinal Cord Injuries" recommendations are only at the level of options, since prospective outcome data are unavailable. HYPOTHESIS: in acute traumatic central cord syndrome, surgical decompression of the spinal cord within five days will result in more rapid motor recovery, than decompression 6 weeks following injury. To test this hypothesis, we will pursue the following specific aims: SPECIFIC AIM I: To compare American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Motor Scores after three months post injury in patients with central cord syndrome operated on within five days of injury to a similar group of patients operated on 6 weeks following injury. SPECIFIC AIM II: To compare functional outcome, health related quality of life and posttraumatic syrinx size in patients with traumatic central cord syndrome operated on within five days to a similar group of patients operated on 6 weeks following injury. DESIGN: Single center prospective randomized study. PROCEDURE: In a two-year period thirty patients with traumatic central cord syndrome and cord compression (15 patients in each group) will be randomized to undergo surgical decompression either within the first five days or at 6 weeks following spinal cord injury. ASIA motor, functional recovery and health related quality of life between the two groups will be compared at admission, discharge from rehab facility 3 months and 12 months after surgery.