Spinal zaps may steady steps after neck surgery
NCT ID NCT07298460
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a noninvasive device that sends mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord, combined with balance training, can improve balance in adults who still have trouble walking after surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy. 45 participants will be randomly assigned to receive stimulation at the mid-back, both neck and mid-back, or a sham treatment during 12 sessions over 4 weeks. The goal is to see if this approach is safe and effective enough to test in a larger trial.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a noninvasive way to improve balance and walking in people who still have trouble after surgery for cervical myelopathy.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early pilot study with only 45 people, so results may not apply to everyone. The stimulation is noninvasive but may not work better than sham or standard therapy.
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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Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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About 45 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2028
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.
- Ages
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50 to 90 years
- 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: * DCM participants who have undergone surgery for DCM more than 12 months prior and report persistent impaired imbalance Exclusion Criteria: * uncontrolled cardiopulmonary disease, legal blindness, unstable medical condition that can interfere with the study, breakdown in skin area that will come into contact with electrodes, active implanted medical device, pregnancy, and seizures * concurrent occupational or physical therapy during study participation for any condition * history of inability to tolerate MEP/SSEP for any reason, or complete paralysis of the legs (lower limb mJOA=0) * cognitive impairment and unable to give consent
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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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Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53233, United States
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