Impact of Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation on Blood Pressure and Orthostasis in Spinal Cord Injury: Short and Long-Term Effects

Summary

The purpose of this study is to learn whether stimulation applied to the spinal cord through the skin (called transcutaneous spinal stimulation) can help control blood pressure in people with a spinal cord injury. The main questions this study attempts to solve: 1. What are the immediate effects of spinal cord transcutaneous stimulation on BP? 2. Does stimulation produce lasting improvements in BP regulation and subsequently, daily function?

Description

Eligibility

Age range

18–75 years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

No

Interventions

• Device
  Tilt test with stimulation (real-time effects): Intervention 1

  While lying supine, participants will be strapped to a Hi-Low tilt-table bed. The bed will gradually be tilted to a 70 degrees tilt, during which time continuous hemodynamic measures will be recorded. This position will be maintained for 30 minutes. During tilt, transcutaneous stimulation will be applied, using the configuration that was chosen based on the mapping sessions.

• Device
  20 sessions of stimulation (Intervention 2)

  Participants will undergo 20 separate 30-minute sessions of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation while seated in their wheelchairs

Location