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Influence of Transcranial Electrical Stimulation on Arm and Hand Function After Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Sponsor: Shepherd Center, Atlanta GA
Summary
The goal of this pilot study is to find out how four different types of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) affect brain activity, the process of acquiring new skills (also called motor learning), and hand function after cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). Participants will complete 5 study sessions: one sign-up session and four testing \& intervention sessions. Total participation will take about 18 hours. During the sign-up session, researchers will: discuss study details, review the participant's health history to make sure that it is safe for them to participate, perform tests to ensure that the participant meets the study criteria, and collect the participant's demographic information. During each testing \& intervention session, the participant will receive a different type of tES. Before and after getting tES, they will take part in tests that measure their brain activity and the strength, sensation, and function of their right hand.
Official title: Enhancing Motor Learning With Transcranial Electrical Stimulation for Upper Extremity Functional Restoration in People With Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
12
Start Date
2026-12
Completion Date
2027-08
Last Updated
2026-11-02
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) + FTP
tDCS (waveform: monophasic and continuous) will be delivered for a duration of 20 minutes and intensity of 2 mA using two saline-soaked reusable sponge electrodes (35 cm2 each). The active electrode will be placed over the hand representation of the motor cortex controlling the right upper extremity (C3, 10-20 EEG system) and the reference electrode will be placed over the contralateral supraorbital area (FP2, 10-20 EEG system). The FTP component of intervention will occur concurrently with tDCS application and will consist primarily of task-oriented arm and hand activities.
transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) + FTP
tPCS (waveform: monophasic square waves with 500 ms pulse duration and 50 ms inter-pulse interval) will be delivered for a duration of 20 minutes and intensity of 2 mA using two saline-soaked reusable sponge electrodes (35 cm2 each). The active electrode will be placed over the hand representation of the motor cortex controlling the right upper extremity (C3, 10-20 EEG system) and the reference electrode will be placed over the contralateral supraorbital area (FP2, 10-20 EEG system). The FTP component of intervention will occur concurrently with tPCS application and will consist primarily of task-oriented arm and hand activities.
transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) + FTP
tRNS (waveform: 0-500 Hz random frequency and Gaussian white noise random intensity) will be delivered for a duration of 20 minutes and intensity range of +/-1 mA using two saline-soaked reusable sponge electrodes (35 cm2 each). The active electrode will be placed over the hand representation of the motor cortex controlling the right upper extremity (C3, 10-20 EEG system) and the reference electrode will be placed over the contralateral supraorbital area (FP2, 10-20 EEG system). The FTP component of intervention will occur concurrently with tRNS application and will consist primarily of task-oriented arm and hand activities.
sham transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) + FTP
Sham tES will be delivered for a duration of 20 minutes and intensity of 0 mA using two saline-soaked reusable sponge electrodes (35 cm2 each). The active electrode will be placed over the hand representation of the motor cortex controlling the right upper extremity (C3, 10-20 EEG system) and the reference electrode will be placed over the contralateral supraorbital area (FP2, 10-20 EEG system). The FTP component of intervention will occur concurrently with sham tESapplication and will consist primarily of task-oriented arm and hand activities.
Locations (1)
Shepherd Center
Atlanta, Georgia, United States