RECRUITING

AIH for Spinal Cord Repair

Description

Contusive cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) impairs upper limb function (reach-and-grasp) which limits daily-life activities and thus decreases the quality of life. Promoting neuroplasticity may support upper limb recovery after SCI. Repetitive exposure to acute intermittent hypoxia (rAIH) combined with motor training promotes recovery of motor function after SCI; however, the overall effects of rAIH/training are limited. The investigators will use an adult rat model of long-term contusive cSCI to study novel approaches to enhance the effect of rAIH/training on forelimb function and study the neuronal substrate underlying the effects. The findings will be used to direct the development of more effective rAIH/training approaches for people with contusive, functionally incomplete, cSCI. Because deficits in upper limb function are a major problem after stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and other motor disorders, this work may also be relevant for patients with other types of central nervous system (CNS) lesions.

Conditions

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Contusive cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) impairs upper limb function (reach-and-grasp) which limits daily-life activities and thus decreases the quality of life. Promoting neuroplasticity may support upper limb recovery after SCI. Repetitive exposure to acute intermittent hypoxia (rAIH) combined with motor training promotes recovery of motor function after SCI; however, the overall effects of rAIH/training are limited. The investigators will use an adult rat model of long-term contusive cSCI to study novel approaches to enhance the effect of rAIH/training on forelimb function and study the neuronal substrate underlying the effects. The findings will be used to direct the development of more effective rAIH/training approaches for people with contusive, functionally incomplete, cSCI. Because deficits in upper limb function are a major problem after stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and other motor disorders, this work may also be relevant for patients with other types of central nervous system (CNS) lesions.

Repetitive Acute Intermittent Hypoxia for Spinal Cord Repair

AIH for Spinal Cord Repair

Condition
SCI
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Hines

Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, Hines, Illinois, United States, 60141-3030

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Male and females Veterans between 18-85 years
  • * Chronic cSCI (1 yr of injury)
  • * Cervical injury at C8 or above
  • * Sensory function: impaired (score of 1) but not absent (score of 0) or intact (score of 2) innervations in dermatomes C6, C7 and C8 during light touch and pin prick stimulus using the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) sensory scores
  • * Motor function: Able to grasp small objects with one hand and able to perform a visible precision grasp between the index finger and thumb
  • * Motor scores ISNCSCI: 1 to 4 but not 5 on finger flexors and finger abductors on the hand tested.
  • * These criteria were selected to ensure that hand impairment will not interfere with the ability to perform training and proposed tests
  • * Male and females (18-80 years)
  • * Right handed
  • * Able to complete precision and power grips
  • * Uncontrolled medical problems including pulmonary, cardiovascular or orthopedic disease
  • * Any debilitating disease prior to the SCI that caused exercise intolerance
  • * Premorbid, ongoing major depression or psychosis, altered cognitive status
  • * History of head injury or stroke
  • * Metal plate in skull
  • * History of seizures
  • * Receiving drugs acting primarily on the central nervous system, which lower the seizure threshold such as antipsychotic drugs
  • * chlorpromazine
  • * clozapine
  • * or tricyclic antidepressants
  • * Pregnant females
  • * Ongoing cord compression or a syrinx in the spinal cord or who suffer from a spinal cord disease as spinal stenosis, spina bifida or herniated cervical disk
  • * AIH Exclusion Criteria (in addition to the above listed exclusion criteria):
  • * resting heart rate \> 120 bpm
  • * resting systolic blood pressure \>180 mmHg
  • * resting diastolic blood pressure \>100 mmHg
  • * self-reported history of unstable angina or myocardial infarction within the previous month
  • * resting SpO2 \> or equal to 95%
  • * cardiopulmonary complications such as COPD
  • * Same as for SCI individuals

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to 85 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

VA Office of Research and Development,

Martin Oudega, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL

Study Record Dates

2025-02-10