Texas Biomedical Device Center at UT Dallas has developed an innovative strategy to enhance recovery of motor and sensory function after neurological injury termed targeted plasticity therapy (TPT). This technique uses brief pulses of vagus nerve stimulation to engage pro-plasticity neuromodulatory circuits during rehabilitation exercises. Recovery is associated with neural plasticity in spared motor networks in the brain and spinal cord. Moreover, an early feasibility study and an independent, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in chronic stroke participants indicate that VNS is safe in participants with upper limb deficits, and yields a clinically-significant three-fold increase in neural connections during rehabilitation exercises. Given the track record of safety and potential for VNS to enhance recovery of upper limb motor function in spinal cord injured individuals, the purpose of this double blind randomized placebo controlled optional open-label extension study is to assess the safety of using a new device to deliver vagus nerve stimulation to reduce symptom severity in participants with SCI. Additionally, the study will assess the prospective benefit of the system and garner an initial estimate of efficacy for a subsequent trial. Participants may undergo additional sessions of training with VNS.
Spinal Cord Injuries, Upper Extremity Paresis
Texas Biomedical Device Center at UT Dallas has developed an innovative strategy to enhance recovery of motor and sensory function after neurological injury termed targeted plasticity therapy (TPT). This technique uses brief pulses of vagus nerve stimulation to engage pro-plasticity neuromodulatory circuits during rehabilitation exercises. Recovery is associated with neural plasticity in spared motor networks in the brain and spinal cord. Moreover, an early feasibility study and an independent, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in chronic stroke participants indicate that VNS is safe in participants with upper limb deficits, and yields a clinically-significant three-fold increase in neural connections during rehabilitation exercises. Given the track record of safety and potential for VNS to enhance recovery of upper limb motor function in spinal cord injured individuals, the purpose of this double blind randomized placebo controlled optional open-label extension study is to assess the safety of using a new device to deliver vagus nerve stimulation to reduce symptom severity in participants with SCI. Additionally, the study will assess the prospective benefit of the system and garner an initial estimate of efficacy for a subsequent trial. Participants may undergo additional sessions of training with VNS.
Targeted Plasticity Therapy for Upper Limb Rehabilitation in Spinal Cord Injuries
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Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States, 75246
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18 Years to 64 Years
ALL
No
Baylor Research Institute,
Michael Kilgard, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Texas at Dallas
Robert Rennaker, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Texas at Dallas
Seth Hays, PhD, STUDY_DIRECTOR, University of Texas at Dallas
Jane Wigginton, MD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Rita Hamilton, DO, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation
Michael Foreman, MD FACS, STUDY_DIRECTOR, Baylor Health Care System
Mark Powers, PhD, STUDY_DIRECTOR, Baylor Health Care System
Richard Naftalis, MD, FAANS, FACS, STUDY_DIRECTOR, Baylor Health Care System
2025-04