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Blood test may reveal how severe a spinal cord injury is

NCT ID NCT05244408

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of British Columbia Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Sep 23, 2026 · Last updated Sep 24, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at the University of British Columbia are studying whether two proteins in the blood, GFAP and NF-L, can help classify how severe a traumatic spinal cord injury is and predict how much neurologic function a patient will regain. The study enrolls 120 adults with acute blunt spinal cord injuries and collects daily blood samples starting within 24 hours of injury. Investigators compare these blood marker levels with standard neurological exams at 6 and 12 months to see how well the markers track recovery. The study also tests whether point-of-care devices can measure these markers accurately and stores samples for an international spinal cord injury biobank.

What this could mean

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

What this could lead to
If the markers work, doctors could use a simple blood test to gauge how severe a spinal cord injury is and estimate how much movement a patient might regain.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, so it cannot prove that the markers cause or drive recovery. Blood marker levels may not track closely enough with neurological outcomes to be useful, and results from 120 patients at one center may not apply everywhere.

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.

Participants

About 120 people

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

Started

Mar 2023

Expected to finish

Dec 2030

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.

Who is studied

All participants for this study will be recruited at Vancouver General Hospital. The study will include two groups/cohorts: SCI Subjects. Patients who suffer a traumatic spinal cord injury who meet the following inclusion criteria are eligible for admission into the study as "SCI subjects": Non-SCI Spine Trauma Control Subjects. Patients who suffer a fracture or dislocation of their spinal column but without neurologic injury are eligible for admission into the study as "Non-SCI Spine Trauma Control Subjects" if they meet the following inclusion criteria:

Ages

19 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 SCI Participants. Patients who suffer a traumatic spinal cord injury who meet the following inclusion criteria are eligible for admission into the study as "SCI participants": * Male or Female ≥ 19 years of age * Blunt (non-penetrating) traumatic spinal cord injury * Baseline neurologic impairment deemed "complete"(AIS A) or "incomplete" (AIS B, C, D) * Bony spinal level involvement between C0 and L1 inclusive * Ability to have initial blood sample drawn within 24 hours of injury * Have either an arterial line, central line, or intravenous line for collecting blood samples * Able and willing to provide informed consent Non-SCI Spine Trauma Control Participants. Patients who suffer a fracture or dislocation of their spinal column without neurologic injury who meet the following inclusion criteria are eligible for admission into the study as "Non-SCI Spine Trauma Control Participants": * Male or Female ≥ 19 years of age * Traumatic spinal fracture between C0 and L1 without spinal cord injury * Collection of initial blood sample within 24 hours of injury * Have either an arterial line, central line, or intravenous line for collecting blood samples * Able and willing to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria Patients who fulfill any of the following criteria are not eligible for admission into the study: * Penetrating spinal cord injury (e.g. gunshot, stab) * Spinal cord injury with sensory deficit only (i.e. no motor deficit) * Spinal injury below L1 * Isolated radiculopathy without fracture * Isolated cauda equina injury * Pre-existing thromboembolic disease or coagulopathy (disorders related to blood clotting), such as haemophilia or von Willebrand's disease * Have any other medical condition that in the investigator's opinion would render the study procedures dangerous or impair their ability to receive treatment

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

spinal cord injury spinal fracture

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Acute spinal cord injury Acute spinal paralysis Spinal cord injuries Trauma, spinal cord

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  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

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Vancouver General Hospital

    RECRUITING

    Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z1M9, Canada

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