Motoneuron Recruitment and Motor Evoked Potential Up-Conditioning (MEP) in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)

Part of paid clinical trials in Charleston, South Carolina.

Sponsor
Medical University of South Carolina
Study ID
NCT07179822
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders (SCI/D)
  • Spinal Cord Injury

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) Operant Conditioning — BEHAVIORAL
    Operant conditioning is a method to induce behavioral learning based on the consequence (reward) of the behavior. With operant conditioning of the motor evoked potential (MEP), the neuronal excitability and behavior of the corticospinal pathway that involves production of MEP is targeted and trained (i.e., up-trained with up-conditioning). The individual is rewarded only for changing the target muscle's MEP size without changing background muscle activity. Since MEP size reflects the corticospinal excitability at or just before the time of stimulation, during MEP up-conditioning trials, the individual is urged to increase the corticospinal excitability for the target muscle.

Study Details

The purpose of this research study is to examine the effect of a brain stimulation training to improve the function of brain-spinal cord- muscle connections. Because brain-to-muscle pathways are very important in our movement control, restoring function of these pathways may improve movement problems after injuries. Spinal cord injury causes damage to the brain-to-muscle connection. However, when the injury is "incomplete", there is a possibility that some of the brain-to-muscle pathways are still connected and may be trained to improve movement function. For examining brain-to-muscle pathways, investigators use a transcranial magnetic stimulator. Investigators hope that the results of this research study will help us develop new treatments for people who have movement disabilities. This study will require about 42 visits over the first 14 weeks, and another 6 visits over an additional 3 months. Each visit will take about 1 ½ hours.

Key Dates

Start date
Nov 3, 2025
Status verified
Nov 2025
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2027
Completion
Sep 30, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
15 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
OTHER

Arms

  • Experimental: Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) Operant Conditioning
    This intervention requires 6 baseline visits and 24 intervention visits, each of which is approximately 1.5 hours.

Primary Outcome Measure

Percent change in the size of the Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) from baseline to final conditioning sessions. [ Time Frame: Baseline (average of 6 sessions over 2 weeks) and final phase (average of sessions 19-24 over weeks 7-8 of intervention) ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonSouth Carolina29407
Blair Dellenbach, MSOT
[email protected]
843-792-6313
Aiko Thompson, PhD (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

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By research site
Medical University of South Carolina· Charleston, SC

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