Active clinical trials for "Spinal Cord Injuries"

Investigators are trying to determine the therapeutic effect of the music glove and conventional hand exercise program to patients with spinal cord injuries. All participants will be randomized into two groups: AB and BA. They will all exercise at least 3 times a week for 3 weeks with minimum of 3 hours of exercise time per week. Participants will receive the other intervention at their 3 week post-therapy follow-up visits. Clinical evaluations will be performed at baseline 1 and 2 (3 to 10 days apart), post-therapy after the first intervention, 3-week post-therapy follow up, post-therapy after the second intervention, and 3-week post-second intervention follow up visits.

The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of two forms of physical therapy training, one emphasizing precise, visually guided walking over obstacles and on targets (Precision Training), the other emphasizing mass practice of walking on a treadmill (Endurance Training). The hypothesis was that visually guided training (Precision) may be especially efficacious because it engages the motor cortex, whose input may facilitate improvements in functional walking. Participants are individuals with a chronic (≥7 months post-injury), motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI), with no other problems that would preclude participation in an intensive training program. A randomized, single-blinded, cross-over design was used to randomly allocate participants to start with Precision or Endurance Training, identified as Training Phase I. Training was 5x/wk for 2 months, followed by a 2-month rest period, identified as Rest Period I. Participants then returned for 2-months of training in the other method, identified as Training Phase II, followed by another 2-month rest, Rest Period II. Measures of walking speed, distance, skill, confidence, as well as depression were obtained at least 3 times before any training, then monthly thereafter. Electrophysiological measures were taken before and after each phase of training and period of rest. Change scores were used to determine how each phase of training and rest influenced the scores (see below).

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disabling condition that impairs fundamental abilities, such as ambulation, respiration, and toileting. Compromised ambulation is a common, devastating impairment following SCI. Yet, despite the fundamental desire to walk, no conventional rehabilitation regimen reliably improves ambulation after SCI, and many SCI patients do not have reliable transportation access, decreasing community integration and access to needed services, including rehabilitation. Little is also known about the subtle neural events that may predict motor recovery in incomplete SCI patients. This study will test a novel, safe, easy to implement technique that has shown promise in improving gait in incomplete SCI patients. The investigators expect that this study will confirm the efficacy of this technique, by showing that it increases the speed and efficiency of walking. This outcome is expected to produce a therapy that improves outcomes and health, and reduces care costs, for community dwelling patients with incomplete SCI.

The investigators seek to determine the efficacy, duration of action and safety of escalating dose of droxidopa on systemic blood pressure, cerebral blood flow and vasoactive hormones and catecholamines during upright seated posture. Primary Question: 1. What is the lowest dose of droxidopa that increases seated SBP to 115±5 mmHg in men and 105±5 mmHg in women? When does the defined increase in SBP occur after oral ingestion of droxidopa? How long does this dose of droxidopa sustain SBP at these levels? What are the vital signs and the subjective symptomology following droxidopa administration? Secondary Question: 1. What is the MFV response to droxidopa administration in hypotensive individuals with SCI? Does an increase in SBP correspond to an increase in MCA MFV? Tertiary Question: 1. What is the vasoactive hormone and catecholamine response to droxidopa administration in hypotensive individuals with SCI? Does droxidopa administration result in a change in APR, Aldo or NE in hypotensive individuals with SCI?

This study will evaluate the effect of single transplantation of HuCNS-SC cells into the thoracic spinal cord of patients with sub-acute spinal cord injury.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility, safety, efficacy and optimal dose of umbilical cord blood mononuclear cell transplant in the treatment of chronic spinal cord injuries.

Shoulder pain is common in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). It is most often caused by overuse injuries to the muscles and tendons that can occur during wheelchair propulsion, transfers, and other activities of daily living. Normally, shoulder pain resolves with conservative treatments such non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) and physical therapy. However, when these treatments fail, shoulder surgery may be the only option. Platelet Rich Plasma therapy, or PRP, is a treatment option for non-healing muscle and tendon injuries such as those that cause shoulder pain in persons with SCI. Using one's own blood, cells within the blood called "platelets" are concentrated and then re-injected into the muscle and tendon of the shoulder. These platelets release substances known as "growth factors" that lead to tissue healing. By concentrating the platelets we increase the growth factors up to eight times which will promote the healing of tendons. PRP therapy has shown promise in treating tendon and muscle injuries in able-bodied persons; however, its effectiveness in persons with SCI is unknown. The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of PRP therapy for chronic shoulder pain in persons with SCI. The human body has a remarkable ability to heal itself and we hypothesize that re-injecting concentrated platelets will facilitate the natural healing process and will reduce shoulder pain in persons with SCI.

The Ibuprofen - Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) - Safety trial investigates tolerability and feasibility of "small molecule" (Ibuprofen) mediated Rho-inhibition as putative neuroprotective, plasticity-enhancing and neurorestaurative intervention. The primary safety analysis is based on the incidence of severe gastrointestinal bleedings. In addition, the feasibility of recruitment procedure, and oral administration of the compound within the multidisciplinary setting of acute intensive medical care will be explored. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetics of Ibuprofen under the condition of acute motor complete SCI will be investigated. Secondary endpoints will permit preliminary statements about effects on neuropathic pain, spasticity, and neurological function.

The purpose of this current prospective study is to assess the effects of body weight support treadmill training (BWSTT) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Training intervention aim at improving: quality of life, walking capability, spasticity, functions in every day life, bone mass density and related hematological factors. The examination consisted of (1) neurological classification by ASIA standard neurological classification of spinal cord injury working sheet, (2) spasticity evaluation of lower limbs by Modified Ashworth Scale, (3) walking independence evaluation by Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury II (WISCI II), (4) patient's quality of life perspective by World Health Quality of Life- BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), (5) the functional status by 10-item Modified Barthel Index, (6) bone mass density (BMD) by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan, (7) body tissue consistency by full body DXA scan, (8) skeletal system health associated blood factors (calcitonin, osteocalcin, 25 OH vitamin D, 1,25- (OH)2 vitamin D, ostase and parathyroid hormone) by hematological tests. The results will be collected and evaluated using statistical software (i.e. SPSS).

The purpose of this study is to determine if a second year of exposure to teriparatide in both subjects that received a year of teriparatide or teriparatide-placebo will result in a greater increase in bone mass density (BMD) compared to that seen in a single year's treatment. This study will also investigate 1) if a second year of teriparatide therapy will increase bone strength in people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) who previously received a year of teriparatide or teriparatide-placebo, 2) the number of participants with adverse events from teriparatide, and 3) the effects of teriparatide on serum markers of bone metabolism.