Electrical implant aims to restore movement after paralysis
NCT ID NCT07738978
First seen Jul 31, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026
Summary
This study tests an implanted electrical stimulation device designed to improve movement, standing, and walking in people with paralysis from spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, or traumatic brain injury. The device sends electrical signals to muscles in the trunk and lower limbs, potentially helping them function better. Researchers will measure changes in how long participants can stand and how far they can walk. The goal is to learn whether this approach is safe and effective for improving daily function.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- an implanted electrical stimulation device (neural prosthesis)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a way to improve standing and walking for people with paralysis, potentially increasing independence and quality of life.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with a small number of participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Implanted devices carry risks like infection or device failure, and the benefits may be modest.
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
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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
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About 75 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2021
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2034
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Skeletal maturity and ability to sign informed consent (\>18 years) * Non-ventilator dependent paralysis resulting from injuries such as: mid cervical/thoracic (C4 or below) spinal cord injuries, poststroke hemiparesis, TBI, or MS, affecting the trunk and/or lower limbs * Innervated and excitable lower extremity and trunk musculature * Adequate social support and stability * Willingness to comply with follow-up procedures * Time post injury greater than six months * Appropriate body habitus (height and weight within acceptable limits as determined by study physician) * Neurologically stable as determined by a physician Exclusion Criteria: * Non-English speaking * Females who are pregnant * Current pressure injuries that would be exacerbated by study activities * Severe contractures or uncontrolled spasticity of any major joint of the upper or lower extremities that results in a fixed deformity that would interfere with study activities * History of spontaneous fractures or other evidence of excessively low bone density * History of vestibular dysfunction, balance problems, or spontaneous falls * Acute and or/untreated orthopedic problems that would prevent a participant from weight bearing or exercising such as a dislocation or fracture. * Acute and/or chronic problems left untreated or not controlled that would put a participant at risk by using stimulation such as cardiac abnormalities, immunological/pulmonary/renal/circulatory compromise, diabetes or hypertension * Presence of a demand pacemaker or cardiac defibrillator * Any other medical or psychological condition that would be a contraindication * Current pressure ulcers * Significant range of motion limitations that would compromise study activities * Body habitus that would compromise study activities
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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
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
RECRUITINGCleveland, Ohio, 44106, United States
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