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Brain training with magnetic pulses may restore arm function after spinal cord injury

NCT ID NCT05321017

Symptom relief Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 08, 2026 · Last updated Jul 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether training the brain-to-muscle pathway using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can improve arm and hand movement in people with incomplete spinal cord injury. Participants will undergo 30 sessions where TMS is used to strengthen the connection between the brain and wrist muscles. The goal is to see if this training leads to better arm function, strength, and dexterity.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) training
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a new therapy to improve arm and hand function after spinal cord injury.
What could go wrong
This is a very small early study with only 5 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The training requires 30 visits and may not lead to meaningful improvement.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 5 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Oct 2021

Expected to finish

Jun 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. a history of injury to spinal cord at or above C6 2. neurologically stable (\>6 mo post SCI) 3. medical clearance to participate 4. weak wrist extension at least unilaterally 5. expectation that current medication will be maintained without change for at least 3 months. Stable use of anti-spasticity medication (e.g., baclofen, diazepam, tizanidine) is accepted. In participants with bilateral wrist extension weakness, the more severely impaired arm is studied. Exclusion Criteria: 1. motoneuron injury 2. medically unstable condition 3. cognitive impairment 4. a history of epileptic seizures 5. metal implants in the cranium 6. implanted biomedical device in or above the chest (e.g., a cardiac pacemaker, cochlear implant) 7. no measurable MEP elicited in the ECR 8. unable to produce any voluntary ECR EMG activity 9. extensive use of functional electrical stimulation to the arm on a daily basis 10. pregnancy (due to changes in posture and potential medical instability).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

quadriplegia spinal cord injury

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Quadriplegia Spinal cord injuries

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Medical University of South Carolina

    RECRUITING

    Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States

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