Smartwatches and nerve tests aim to unlock spinal injury secrets

NCT ID NCT04493372

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Mayo Clinic Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 17, 2026 · Updated 4 times

Summary

This Mayo Clinic study measures how well the autonomic nervous system works after spinal cord injury. Researchers will test blood pressure control and nerve responses in 69 people with and without injury. Participants also wear a smartwatch to track skin signals, heart rate, and temperature at home. The goal is to better understand and manage common problems like blood pressure swings and bladder issues.

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 successful, this study could give doctors better tools to manage blood pressure, bladder, and other autonomic problems in people with spinal cord injury.
What could go wrong: This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It will not directly improve health, and results may not apply to all injury levels or severities.

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

62 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2020

Finished

Jun 2026

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 to 50 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: All subjects \- age 18-50 years old. Participants with spinal cord injury * Adult onset, traumatic spinal cord injury. * American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale, A-D, to encompass a spectrum of autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury. * Neurological level of injury, C1-T12, as defined by the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury. Incorporating level of injury down to T12 to encompass a broad range of autonomic dysfunction. Exclusion Criteria: * History of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, neurologic disorders (with exception of spinal cord injury), or diabetes. * Women who are pregnant or lactating. * Currently taking blood thinners. * Pacemaker, implanted defibrillator, or intrathecal pump incompatible with MRI scanning. * Cognitive issues preventing informed consent for participation. * Body mass index \>30 kg/m2 for controls, in an effort to limit effects of early cardiovascular disease and diabetes in control population. Body mass index has not proven to be a good estimate of these factors following spinal cord injury.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

autonomic dysreflexia Hypotension, Orthostatic orthostatic hypotension spinal cord injury

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Autonomic dysreflexia Autonomic imbalance Orthostatic hypotension Spinal cord injuries

Smartwatches and nerve tests aim to unlock spinal injury secrets

What the study statuses mean