Feasibility of a Video Telehealth Model to Evaluate Home Use of Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation for Enhanced Upper Limb Function
VA Palo Alto Health Care System
Summary
The proposed study will focus on the feasibility of and effectiveness to a home-based program for persons with chronic SCI focused on upper limb training augmented with a transcutaneous neurostimulator supported via a video telehealth platform.
Description
The overarching goal of this study is to train participants with tetraplegia and their companion to operate a non-invasive surface applied neurostimulation unit (ONWARD, ARCex) while performing a prescriptive functional task based upper extremity home program for 2 months. Participants will be supported with video-telehealth to assist with any difficulties that may arise and to progress their upper extremity home program. Evaluations will assess the feasibility of this video telehealth supported model as measured by the ease of use of the technology (QUEST 2.0, NASA-TLX) as well as participant…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Veteran 2. Age 18-65 3. All gender, any ethnicity 4. Cervical Spinal Cord Injury C2-8 5. American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) B, C or D 6. GRASSP-Prehension Score \>10 or GRASSP Strength Score \>30 7. Greater than 1 year post injury 8. Able to identify a companion to assist with neurostimulator setup in home environment. 9. Internet connection to support video telehealth connection 10. Willingness to travel to the VA Palo Alto Medical Center Exclusion Criteria: 1. Cardiopulmonary disease or cardiac symptoms, 2. Autonomic dysreflexia that is…
Interventions
- Behavioraltranscutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation (tSCS)
Neurostimulation for upper extremity training, delivered through video telehealth, 8 weeks of home use for (i) feasibility and (ii) potential functional improvement.
Location
- VA Palo Alto Health Care SystemPalo Alto, California