Active clinical trials for "Spinal Cord Injuries"

Paralympians competing in wheelchair sports may experience a very high glycolytic demand (and therefore acidotic environment) in their upper-body muscles, particularly in high-intensity disciplines. Previous studies from our group have shown that upper-body exercise is very sensitive to the ergogenic effects of β-alanine supplementation and to other nutritional supplements capable of increasing buffering capacity. In line with this, have shown that upper-body muscle groups benefit more from artificially induced alkalosis than lower-body muscle groups. Although β-alanine appears to be an interesting and potential ergogenic supplement for paralympians, no study to date has assessed its potential in wheelchair athletes.In this study, we will evaluate the effects of β-alanine supplementation on upper-body performance in wheelchair athletes.

As technologies are advancing quickly in the healthcare setting, new solutions have become available helping disable people to enhance their ability to communicate. One of these advances is the introduction of the 'eye gaze system'. Through processing eye movements, this device allows a person to write, speak, use the Internet and even control systems in the home or office. In the currently proposed study we aim to evaluate the psychological and functional effects of using the Tobii™ Eyegaze System by inpatients with tetraplegia who are unable to use arms and legs and sometimes are not able to talk because of an impaired respiratory function. Volunteering inpatients will be recruited at the National Spinal Injuries Centre. Volunteers will be instructed and trained to use the Tobii™ Eyegaze System. The number of sessions required to successfully master the device depends on the learning curve of the patient. The progress will be documented accordingly. After successful completion of the training and supervised use, the inpatients will be offered the Tobii™ Eyegaze System for unsupervised use, 4 hours a week, for the following 2 months. It is hypothesised that using the Tobii™ Eyegaze System by inpatients with tetraplegia results in improved disability perception and independence scores. For the current feasibility study 12 participants will be recruited and assessed for 'Appraisal of Disability', 'Mood', 'Assistive Technology perception' and 'eyeskills' to instruct the computer system. Positive study outcomes will encourage future studies of the role of the Tobii™ Eyegaze System in both a rehabilitation and home environment.

This study seeks to evaluate the efficacy of nerve transfers in restoring hand function in patients with cervical spinal injuries.

OBJECTIVE: 1. To study tissues from spinal cord injured patients with noncompliant bladders as well as neurologically intact patients with normal bladder compliance, analyzing both quantitative and qualitative neural efferent receptors, collagen, and smooth muscle contents, using RT-PCR and electron microscopy. 2. To explore the possible shift in bladder neural architecture after SCI from beta to alpha-adrenergic receptors. RESEARCH DESIGN: 25 spinal cord injury patients who underwent cystoscopic procedures will be included in this study. 25 control patients without spinal cord injury and already scheduled for urologic procedures will also be included in this study. METHODOLOGY: Study patients will undergo flexible or rigid cystoscopy as well as selective cold cup biopsies of the posterior and lateral walls, and trigonal area of the bladder. Control patents will undergo cystoscopy and selected bladder biopsies preceding their scheduled urologic procedures. Tissue samples will be frozen for later EM and RT-PCR analysis of collagen, smooth muscle, and efferent adrenergic receptor content and subtype. Hemostasis will be achieved with a cautery electrode. Criteria of exclusion include active urinary tract infection identified by preoperative urinalysis, or the presence of suspicious lesions seen during cystoscopy. Suspicious areas will be biopsied and the patient will be excluded from the study. Subjects will be given a preoperative dose of Rocephin 1g IM as well as a postoperative 3-day course of Cipro 500 mg BID. Control patients will be given standard perioperative prophylactic/empiric therapy as indicated for their urologic procedure. Patients will be followed in 1-2 weeks to evaluate their postoperative course. FINDINGS: Total number of subjects enrolled: 43. 12-03: To date we have not encountered any problems with the study and health wise the subjects have done fine. No adverse events have been reported. Preliminary Results: The tissue is currently being analyzed - mRNA by microchip analysis and the data is still being worked on to look for correlations in genes up or down regulation versus the morphological EM findings previously reported.

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the pharmacokinetic and -dynamic properties of rivaroxaban after oral administration in cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) individuals. The secondary objective of this study is to determine the steady-state rivaroxaban activity in cervical SCI individuals under long-term therapy. Primary Objective In-house patients will be informed concerning the study and informed consent will be collected. During the screening day, in- / exclusion criteria will be assessed and a blood samples will be taken for assessing haematology, clinical chemistry and coagulation parameters. Furthermore, the evaluation day will be scheduled. On the evaluation day, in- / exclusion criteria will be re-assessed. A venous catheter will be introduced into a forearm or lower leg of each participant for the collection of blood at the specified time points. Skin inspection for subcutaneous bleeding will be performed and vital signs will be recorded. A blood sample will be taken for assessing haematology, clinical chemistry and coagulation parameters. Single administration of oral rivaroxaban in the form of Xarelto® 10mg tablets (Bayer Schering Pharma, Berlin, Germany). Rivaroxaban concentrations will be determined from plasma samples taken before, 30min after and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 24 hours after rivaroxaban administration. Rivaroxaban activity will be determined from plasma samples taken before, 30min after and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 24 hours after rivaroxaban administration using a factor Xa inhibition test and measuring prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). Skin inspection for subcutaneous bleeding and measurements of vital signs will be performed 30min and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours after rivaroxaban administration. Secondary Objective Patients under long-term rivaroxaban therapy will be recruited during their annual check-up visit at the Swiss Paraplegic Centre. In- / exclusion criteria will be assessed, and the patients will be informed concerning the study and informed consent will be collected. Blood samples will be taken for assessing haematology, clinical chemistry and coagulation parameters, and skin inspection for subcutaneous bleeding and measurements of vital signs will be performed. A blood sample (4.3ml citrated venous blood) will be taken for assessing the primary and secondary outcome parameters.

The purpose of this research device study is to learn more about the autonomic nervous system. This system uses nerves to send information from the brain to the rest of the body by electrical signaling and has two divisions, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic branches. It has been thought that electrical stimulation devices could be used to restore balance to the nervous system. Because most of the imbalance seems to happen due to too much sympathetic activity, the investigator plans to focus on the parasympathetic branch. Specifically, the investigator hopes to restore balance by targeting the vagus nerve, which is the main communicator of the parasympathetic branch. The study will examine whether the investigator can decrease sympathetic activity and chronic inflammation by increasing parasympathetic activity. This is a device study that will examine the use of non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation to attenuate inflammatory stress and sympathetic hyperactivity in persons with Spinal Cord Injury and Non-Disabled Controls.

This study aims to determine if a non-functioning UroMonitor device can be safely inserted, monitored, and removed in patients with SCI.

People with Spinal cord injury with tetraplegia suffer from respiratory problem due to weakness of the muscles and because the autonomic system dysfunction. Exercise is one way of preserving and improving physical fitness and directly and indirectly reduce risk factors such as insulin resistance, weight loss and low values of HDL. subjects with spinal cord injury with tetraplegia have limited options for exercise: table tennis, gym, pool and more. Because of the nature of the injury which includes the sympathetic failure, they can not easily get the desired pulse to improve physical fitness. Wheelchair rugby in Canada was developed specifically for people with tetraplegia who could not participate in wheelchair basketball. The game combines short, quick races with different aerobic capabilities. Previous studies have shown that participants in wheelchair rugby Improve anaerobic power, oxygen consumption, physical fitness and daily functioning. Wheelchair rugby improves self-confidence and as a result it affects other areas of life. Another study examined sense of self-efficacy, saw improvement in this index for rugby players in a wheelchair at high levels. In the present study the investigators aim to examine whether regular participation in wheelchair Rugby for a season has more impact than other routine exercise (table tennis, gym, swimming).

The objective of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the outcomes and clinical benefits provided by this brace to adult patients with upper limb impairment or paralysis due to brachial plexus, stroke (CVA), spinal cord injury, or other neurological disease or injury.

Changes in the GI microbiota and/or metabolomics have been linked to evolving transformations in immune system function and infection rates in experimental SCI in animal models. A recent study involving chronic survivors of SCI show distinct GI microbiome changes in comparison to healthy controls. GI microbial metabolism of dietary components has been causally linked to various health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, infections, which is an ongoing concern for chronic SCI survivors. It is probable that alterations of GI microbiota are established acutely after SCI and could subsequently alter medical care and impact health outcomes for people living with SCI. This project is a pilot study to describe any changes in the GI and urinary tract microbiota as they appear over the first year after SCI. When available, data on factors, other than SCI, that may impact change in the gut microbiome after SCI will also be noted, including: the level and severity of SCI, the time since SCI, the person's immune profile, the antibiotic regimen of the individual and time since antibiotic administration, the incidence and type of infections after SCI and the person's diet or activities after SCI