New drug aims to supercharge walking recovery after spinal cord injury
NCT ID NCT05217498
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a drug called istradefylline can boost the walking improvements seen with low-oxygen therapy in people with chronic, incomplete spinal cord injury. About 40 adults aged 18-75 with injuries at least one year old will receive the drug or a placebo before walking practice. The goal is to see if blocking adenosine can make walking gains last longer.
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 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2027
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 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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18 to 75 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: 1. age 18 and 75 years (the latter to reduce the likelihood of heart disease) medical clearance to participate 2. lesion at or below C2 and above T12 with non-progressive etiology 3. classified as motor-incomplete with visible volitional leg movement 4. injury greater than 12 months 5. ability to advance one step overground without human assistance Exclusion Criteria: 1. Concurrent severe medical illness (i.e., infection, cardiovascular disease, ossification, recurrent autonomic dysreflexia, unhealed decubiti, and history of pulmonary complications) 2. Pregnant women because of the unknown effects of AIH on pregnant women and fetus 3. History of seizures, brain injury, and/or epilepsy 4. Undergoing concurrent physical therapy 5. Diabetes 6. Cirrhosis Caffeine and/or NSAID allergies or intolerances
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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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Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
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?