SPINAL CORD INJURIES

This study is testing if a special exercise program can help people with high-level spinal cord injuries improve their heart and lung health. Participants will use a rowing machine that electrically stimulates their leg muscles while also trying either a breathing support device …

This study is testing whether a surgery called a nerve transfer can help people with paralysis in all four limbs (tetraplegia) regain some use of their hands and arms. Surgeons will reroute healthy nerves from a working muscle to connect to a paralyzed muscle below the injury. Th…

This early-phase study aimed to test whether donated umbilical cord blood could help adults recover from stroke or spinal cord injury. The cord blood contains cells and healing factors that might repair damaged brain and nerve tissue. The trial was withdrawn before any participan…

This study tested whether a patient's own stem cells, collected from body fat, could help improve function after a chronic spinal cord injury. Three men with different types of spinal cord injuries received multiple infusions of their own cells over about a year. The main goals w…

This study is testing whether repeated, brief sessions of breathing low-oxygen air can help improve walking recovery in people with chronic spinal cord injury. Researchers believe this mild stress might 'wake up' the nervous system and strengthen the connections needed for walkin…

This study is testing whether adding gentle electrical stimulation to the spine improves the benefits of robot-assisted walking training for people with recent spinal cord injuries. Thirty participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the combined treatment or robot tr…

This study is developing a new type of 'smart' brain implant for people with severe, untreatable chronic pain from conditions like stroke, spinal cord injury, or phantom limb pain. The device listens for the brain's own pain signals and delivers stimulation only when pain is high…

This study is testing whether a combination of non-invasive spinal cord stimulation and specific training exercises can improve breathing, arm, and trunk muscle function in people with spinal cord injuries. Researchers are comparing different types of training combined with stimu…

This study aims to find the best way to prevent severe bone loss in people who have had a recent spinal cord injury. It compares two different drug treatment plans over two years to see which better maintains bone density at the knee. The goal is to help preserve bone strength an…

This study is testing if applying an over-the-counter numbing cream to a person's stronger arm muscles while they exercise their weaker, paralyzed muscles can help improve strength and sensation. It involves 30 adults with a specific type of spinal cord injury. The goal is to see…

This study is testing whether stem cells taken from a patient's own body fat can help improve movement and feeling in people paralyzed by a traumatic spinal cord injury. Doctors inject these specially grown cells into the spinal fluid of 40 adults to see if they are safe and can …

This study aimed to test if new, higher-frequency electrical stimulation settings could improve bladder control for people with spinal cord injury. It planned to test 5-10 people who already had an implanted bladder stimulator, comparing new settings to their usual therapy. The g…

This study is testing whether a personalized nutrition plan can help prevent obesity in people during their first year after a traumatic spinal cord injury. Researchers are comparing this special diet to usual care in 56 participants to see if it reduces unhealthy fat gain and im…

This study is testing whether a brief, three-session therapy can prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in people recovering from spinal cord injuries. Researchers are comparing this special therapy to standard rehabilitation care in 200 patients during their hospital reco…

This study aimed to create and test a new self-management program to improve the mental well-being and life satisfaction of military veterans with a specific, less severe type of spinal cord injury (AIS D). The program was designed to be delivered via video telehealth and focused…

This study aims to see if using a powered robotic exoskeleton to walk improves quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries. It will compare two approaches: using the device regularly at home versus using it intensively in a clinic every few months. Researchers will measu…

This study is testing an online group program designed to help people who have lived with spinal cord injuries for many years. The program aims to improve physical health, reduce pain, and enhance mental wellbeing and social connection. Researchers are comparing the online progra…

This study is testing a new method to help patients in intensive rehabilitation use fewer opioid painkillers. It pairs a lower dose of real medication with an open-label placebo—a pill patients know contains no drug—to see if pain relief can be maintained. The goal is to reduce o…

This study is testing a non-invasive brain stimulation treatment called rTMS to see if it can reduce chronic nerve pain. It will involve 32 adults with long-term pain from conditions like nerve injuries or post-stroke pain. Participants will receive magnetic pulses to specific br…

This study is testing whether placing electrical stimulation pads on the lower back can reduce painful muscle stiffness (spasticity) in the legs of people with spinal cord injuries. It involves 40 adults with injuries in the neck or upper back. One group gets the stimulation trea…

This study is testing whether an 8-week online therapy program can help reduce depression in people living with a spinal cord injury. About 140 participants with depressive symptoms will be randomly assigned to either receive the therapy sessions or be placed on a waitlist for co…

This study is testing a training program to help children with conditions like spina bifida or cerebral palsy use their manual wheelchairs more safely and independently. It involves 4 children in Michigan and aims to see if the training improves their wheelchair skills, confidenc…

This study aimed to see if a special training program could improve heart health and fitness in adults with paraplegia. The plan was for participants to use a rowing machine for six months while their leg muscles were activated with safe electrical stimulation. The goal was to me…

This study is testing whether a small implanted device that gently stimulates a neck nerve (the vagus nerve) can help the brain and spinal cord rewire themselves during physical therapy. The goal is to improve arm and hand strength and function for people living with chronic spin…

This study is testing whether gentle electrical and magnetic stimulation applied to the skin over the spine can help improve movement and reduce muscle stiffness in people with long-term spinal cord injuries. Researchers will work with 10 participants to find the best stimulation…

This small, early-stage study is exploring whether powered wheelchairs that can lift a child into a standing position help kids with conditions like cerebral palsy or spinal cord injuries participate more in daily activities. Researchers are working with four children in Michigan…

This study aims to learn from patients' real-life experiences. Researchers are interviewing 75 people with spinal cord injuries who have used a device that stimulates a nerve in the ankle to help with bladder control. The goal is to understand how this treatment affects their dai…

This study aims to find out what kind of exercise program people with spinal cord injury would prefer to use and stick with. Researchers will interview 30 adults with spinal cord injury to understand their needs and then create a survey based on their feedback. The goal is to gat…

This study aims to understand why and how shoulder pain and injuries develop in people who are new to using manual wheelchairs. Researchers will follow 75 participants (50 new wheelchair users and 25 able-bodied adults) for 3 to 5 years, tracking their daily arm movements and tak…