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Spinal zaps may help brain injury patients move arms again

NCT ID NCT07147816

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Roberto de Freitas Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

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
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 Results may not be published yet.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 This study
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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 16, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study tested whether a non-invasive electrical stimulation applied to the skin over the upper spine could temporarily improve arm and hand strength, control, and spasticity in people with traumatic brain injury. Only 14 participants were enrolled before the study was terminated. Researchers measured immediate effects during a single session, comparing results with the stimulation turned on versus off.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the cervical spinal cord (tSCS)
What this could lead to
If this approach shows promise, it could point toward a non-invasive way to improve arm and hand function after traumatic brain injury, potentially leading to more independence.
What could go wrong
This was a very small, early-stage study that was terminated, so results are limited. The stimulation only provided immediate effects within a single session, and it is unclear if benefits would last or apply to daily life.

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

14 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2025

Finished

Jan 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

21 to 70 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: TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI) SUBJECTS: * Participants must have a suffered a traumatic brain injury resulting in impairments in arm and hand motor function at least one year prior to enrollment. * Participants must be between the ages of 21 and 70 years old. HEALTHY CONTROL SUBJECTS: * Participants must have full range of motion in their upper limbs; * Participants must be between the ages of 21 and 70 years old. Exclusion Criteria: TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI) SUBJECTS: * Participants with severe behavioral or cognitive impairments (e.g., aphasia, apraxia, visual neglect) that could preclude their ability to participate in the study. * Participants diagnosed with Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity (PSH); * Participants with post-TBI heterotopic ossification or tendon contractures that restricts passive range of motion of upper limb joints; * Participants with uncontrolled epilepsy or untreated seizure disorders; * Participants with implanted electronic devices, such as pacemakers and spinal cord stimulators; * Participants taking benzodiazepine for spasticity; * Participants with serious disease or disorder (ex. neurological condition other than TBI, cancer, severe cardiac or respiratory disease, renal failure, etc.) that could affect their ability to participate in this study. * Female participants must not be pregnant or breast feeding. * Evaluation to sign consent form score \<12. HEALTHY CONTROL SUBJECTS: \- Participants who have any serious disease or disorder (e.g. cancer, severe cardiac or respiratory disease, neurological conditions, etc.) or cognitive impairments that could affect their ability to participate in this study.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Brain Injuries, Traumatic traumatic brain injury

As listed by the trial registrant

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

TBI (traumatic brain injury) Traumatic brain injury

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Pittsburgh

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.