Neural Plasticity by Spinal Cord Stimulation and Training in People With Spinal Cord Injury

Washington University School of Medicine

Summary

This study will help the investigators better understand the changes in short-term excitability and long-term plasticity of corticospinal, reticulospinal and spinal neural circuits and how the changes impact the improvements of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) mediated motor function.

Description

The goal of this project is to determine the changes in short-term excitability and long-term plasticity of corticospinal, reticulospinal, and spinal neural circuits that are involved in SCS-mediated motor function improvements in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The study will: (1) Determine the short-term effects in neural excitability induced by SCS and activity-based training. (2) Determine the effect of motor training on short-term changes in neural excitability enabled by SCS. (3) Determine the long-term changes in motor control and neural plasticity induced by combined SCS and…

Eligibility

Age range: 16–65 years
Sex: All
Healthy volunteers: Yes

Detailed criteria

Inclusion Criteria: Healthy Volunteers * Age between 16 and 65 years old * Healthy people with no major comorbidities of any organ system Exclusion Criteria: Healthy Volunteers * Subjects younger than 16 or older than 65 years old * Subjects not providing consent or not able to consent * Subjects with any acute or chronic pain condition * Subjects with any acute or chronic disease of a major organ system * Use of analgesics within 24 hours prior to study period * Use of caffeine with 3 hours of study appointment Inclusion criteria: Participants with spinal cord injury (SCI) * Age betwe…

Interventions

Other
Electrophysiology assessment - corticospinal tract
Kinematics and cortical spinal motor excitability
Other
Electrophysiology assessment - reticulospinal tract
Kinematics and reticular spinal motor excitability
Other
Electrophysiology assessment - spinal motoneuron
Kinematics and spinal motoneuron excitability
Other
Activity-based training
Motor task
Other
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation
Non-invasive spinal cord stimulation

Location

Washington University
St Louis, Missouri
ismaelseanez@wustl.edu 314-935-7665