Pilot Study: Spike-timing-dependent Plasticity for Respiratory Function After Spinal Cord Injury
Overview
- Phase
- N/A
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Sponsor
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
- Enrollment
- 10
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Change in Maximum Voluntary Contractions (MVCs)
- Status
- Recruiting
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this research study is to learn more about the connections between the brain, nerves, and diaphragm after experiencing a cervical spinal cord injury (SCI).The main question it aims to answer is:
Changes in respiratory function and recovery using stimulation and respiratory exercise training in spinal cord-injured individuals.
Participants will complete a maximum of 55 study visits. They will be asked to complete about 40 treatment sessions which include multiple stimulation sessions over the scalp and neck, followed by about 60 minutes of respiratory training. Assessment sessions will be completed prior at baseline, after 20 sessions and after 40 sessions of study treatment.
Detailed Description
The purpose of this study is to test a strategy to potentiate functional recovery of respiratory function in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Respiratory function is often impaired in individuals with high cervical spinal cord injury (SCI, C1-C5) leading to reduced quality of life and mortality. Currently, research has shown Spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) targeting cortico-motoneuronal connections effectively promote recovery in upper and lower limbs, including functions such as grasping and locomotion. The overall goal of our proposal is to develop a non-invasive protocol using STDP that can be used to strengthen synaptic plasticity and voluntary motor output in the diaphragm muscle in humans with high cervical SCI. To assess the effect of STDP on respiratory function in humans with high cervical SCI, we propose a pilot study of efficacy trial with the specific aim below: The overall objective of this project is to investigate the efficacy of spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) on respiratory function in humans with high cervical SCI. Specific Aim: Examine the effect of STDP in respiratory function in humans with chronic high cervical SCI.
Investigators
Monica Perez
Scientific Chair, Arms and Hands Lab
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Male and females between ages 18-85 years
- •SCI at least 6 months post-injury
- •Spinal Cord injury at C1-C5
- •Demonstrate respiratory deficit following spinal cord injury as following: (1) Individuals using mechanical ventilation, and (2) individuals with pulmonary function testing (PFT) deficits corresponding to having a vital capacity (VC) \< 80% (predicted)
- •Must have a family member or caregiver who is trained and willing to operate the mechanical ventilator during study visits.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Any illness or condition that based on the research team's assessment, will compromise with the participant's ability to comply with the protocol, patient safety, or the validity of the data collected during this study.
- •Any debilitating disease prior to the SCI that caused exercise intolerance.
- •Individuals entirely dependent on the support of a diaphragmatic pacer (24 hours per day).
- •Premorbid, ongoing major depression or psychosis, altered cognitive status.
- •History of head injury or stroke
- •Vascular, traumatic, tumoral, infectious, or metabolic lesion of the brain, even without a history of seizure, and without anticonvulsant medication
- •History of seizures or epilepsy
- •Receiving drugs acting primarily on the central nervous system, which lower the seizure threshold
- •Pregnant females
- •If a woman of childbearing age is unsure of the pregnancy, and does not want to take the pregnancy test
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change in Maximum Voluntary Contractions (MVCs)
Time Frame: MVCs measured at baseline, 7 weeks (20 sessions), and 14 weeks (40 sessions) of STDP stimulation and respiratory training for the participants during study procedures.
Individuals will perform a maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of diaphragm muscle through surface electrodes secured to the skin over the chest and belly region.
Change in Motor evoked potentials (MEPs)
Time Frame: MEPs measured at baseline, 7 weeks (20 sessions), and 14 weeks (40 sessions) of STDP stimulation and respiratory training for the participants during study procedures.
Transcranial magnetic stimuli (TMS) will be delivered to the optimal scalp position for activation of the diaphragm muscle. The optimal scalp position will be determined by moving the coil in small steps along the diaphragm representation of the primary motor cortex to find the region where the largest MEP can be evoked with the minimum intensity in the targeted muscles.
Secondary Outcomes
- Change in Cervicomedullary electric potentials (CMEPs)(CMEPs measured at baseline, 7 weeks (20 sessions), and 14 weeks (40 sessions) of STDP stimulation and respiratory training for the participants during study procedures.)
- Change in Pulmonary function tests(Change in pulmonary function tests measured at baseline, 7 weeks (20 sessions), and 14 weeks (40 sessions) of STDP stimulation and respiratory training for the participants during study procedures.)
- Change in the Diaphragm ultrasound imaging(Change in the diaphragm ultrasound imaging measured at baseline, 7 weeks (20 sessions), and 14 weeks (40 sessions) of STDP stimulation and respiratory training for the participants during study procedures.)