Spinal zaps may quiet overactive muscles in kids with cerebral palsy

NCT ID NCT07715006

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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 Results may not be published yet.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
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Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 20, 2026 · Last updated Aug 12, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This trial tests whether delivering electrical pulses to spinal nerves can temporarily calm spastic muscles in children with cerebral palsy. Researchers will stimulate the dorsal root nerves during a planned surgery and measure muscle responses. The goal is to see if this stimulation can reduce the exaggerated reflexes that cause stiffness and tightness.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
electrical stimulation of the dorsal root nerves during surgery
What this could lead to
If successful, this approach could point toward a way to temporarily reduce spasticity during surgery, potentially improving outcomes for children with cerebral palsy.
What could go wrong
This is a very small, early-stage trial with only 15 children, and the stimulation is tested only during a single surgical procedure. It may not translate to lasting benefit or work outside the operating room.

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 15 people

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

Started

Jul 2026

Expected to finish

Dec 2029

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

3 to 14 years

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: * Children ages 3 to 14 * Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy * Require an SDR as determined by the multidisciplinary movement disorders team * Confirmation that subjects' terms of insurance coverage for their standard of care procedure will not be altered by study enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: * No exclusion criteria

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

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

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

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

    RECRUITING

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15224, United States

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