Scientists probe why spinal injury leads to debilitating nerve pain
NCT ID NCT06443281
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at why some people develop nerve pain after a spinal cord injury. Researchers will use pain tests, nerve measurements, and heart rate checks in 300 participants to understand the underlying causes. The goal is to better classify pain types, not to test a new treatment.
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 research could reveal how neuropathic pain arises after spinal cord injury, pointing toward better ways to diagnose or manage it in the future.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It aims to understand pain, not cure or relieve it. Results may not lead directly to new therapies.
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
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2024
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
In- and outpatients of Balgrist University Hospital Zurich
- Ages
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18 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * Spinal injury cohort - general inclusion criteria: * Aged between 18-80 years * Traumatic and non-traumatic etiology * Para- and tetraplegic SCI * Complete and incomplete SCI * SCI with and without neuropathic pain * Additional inclusion criteria for longitudinal study: * SCI since less than one month * Additional inclusion criteria for cross-sectional study: * SCI since more than one year * Control cohorts with peripheral neuropathy: * General inclusion criteria: * Aged between 18-80 years * Neurological disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system (i.e., peripheral neuropathy) * Peripheral neuropathy with or without neuropathic pain * Additional inclusion criteria for longitudinal study: * Peripheral neuropathy since less than one month * Additional inclusion criteria for cross-sectional study: * Peripheral neuropathy since more than one year * Control cohorts without neuropathy / healthy volunteers * General inclusion criteria: * Aged between 18-80 years * No medical condition affecting the peripheral and/or central nervous system (e.g., pain, systemic disease, psychological disorder) Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to follow study instructions * Pregnancy * Medically manifested psychological disorder * Medical condition affecting the peripheral and/or central nervous system other than the desired experimental condition (e.g., additional peripheral neuropathy in the SCI cohort)
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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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Balgrist University Hospital
RECRUITINGZurich, Canton of Zurich, 8008, Switzerland
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Serotonin precursor probed for spinal cord injury effects
- Breathing brief Low-Oxygen bursts may boost sleep apnea treatment
- Pure oxygen tested as a switch for dormant nerves after spinal cord injury
- Spinal stimulation tested to help kids with spinal cord injuries sit taller
- Zapping the spine: a new hope for kids with paralysis?
- Can painless spinal zaps teach injured kids to walk again?