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Spinal zap therapy aims to restore hand function in injured kids

NCT ID NCT04032990

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Louisville Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 11, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026

Summary

Children who injure their spinal cord in the neck often lose hand and arm strength. This trial tests whether a device that sends mild electrical pulses through the skin to the spinal cord is safe and comfortable for children. Ten children with long-term spinal cord injuries will use the stimulator while practicing grasping, pinching, and reaching. Researchers will track skin irritation, pain, blood pressure, and changes in movement.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
a device that delivers electrical stimulation through the skin to the spinal cord
What this could lead to
If it works, this approach could give children with spinal cord injuries a non-surgical way to practice and improve hand and arm movements for daily tasks.
What could go wrong
The study is very small, with only 10 children, and it tests safety and practicality first. The stimulation may cause discomfort or skin irritation, and it is too early to know if it will meaningfully improve function.

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 10 people

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

Started

Nov 2019

Expected to finish

Dec 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

4 to 18 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: * history of chronic, acquired SCI, (\>1 year since injury); * SCI involves cervical and/or high thoracic (T1) levels * moderate to severe upper extremity deficit as assessed by the Pediatric Neuromuscular Recovery Upper Extremity Scale (scores less than 4A out of a 12 point range from 1A-4C on upper extremity tasks, e.g. including inability to fully reach overhead, grasp, or pinch without compensation) * discharged from in-patient rehabilitation Exclusion Criteria: * botox use within past 3 months; * current baclofen use * unhealed upper extremity fracture * any other medical complication limiting participation in the assessments and/or activity- based upper extremity training; * congenital SCI * total ventilator dependence

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

spinal cord injury

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Spinal cord injuries

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

    The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.

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  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

  • Department of Neurosurgery

    Louisville, Kentucky, 40202, United States

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