Advancing Neurorehabilitation: Evaluating Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation and 5-Azacitidine for Enhanced Motor Outcomes in Cerebral Palsy
Overview
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- Sponsor
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
- Enrollment
- 80
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Spatiotemporal Gait Symmetry via Instrumented Gait-Mat
Overview
Brief Summary
This is an intervention study to investigate the impact of spinal stimulation on mobility outcomes in children with Cerebral Palsy. Participants will complete a 16-week training program with weekly sessions of spinal stimulation and walking or activity-based training. Participants will also have the option to participate in a randomized control trial to investigate the impact of 5-Azacitidine combined with the spinal stimulation to further affect mobility outcomes.
Detailed Description
This project will investigate the impact of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) on gait and activity-based training in children with Cerebral Palsy. Through a 1:1 randomization, a subset of participants will also receive a dose of 5-azacitidine (AZA), an FDA-approved drug for pediatric oncology, or a placebo. Research in muscle fibers as shown that AZA aids in muscle growth and regeneration. The use of AZA in this study is an off-label application, employed together with the tSCS intervention to investigate the impact of targeting both muscular and mechanical deficits related to CP. This project will also collect blood samples of participants to perform genetic and epigenetic profiling in order to test for correlation with the severity and trajectory of musculoskeletal impairments and with responses to the tSCS and AZA interventions.
The study team hypothesizes that personalized tSCS combined with targeted gait or activity based training will improve motor outcomes in children with spastic CP by reducing muscle tone, improving gait symmetry and neuromotor function, and increasing functional mobility. Furthermore, the addition of a repurposed anabolic agent (AZA) will augment these gains compared to tSCS and training alone.
Children with CP across GMFCS levels will participate in a three-phase protocol, including: (1) a two week baseline phase, (2) a sixteen week intervention phase during which participants will receive tSCS and training interventions, and (3) a four-week post-intervention phase to examine long term outcomes. At the midpoint, participants will receive a single dose of AZA or a single dose of a placebo through a 1:1 randomization. Participants will have a blood draw in phase 1 for genetic and pre-intervention epigenetic profiling and will have a second blood draw in phase 3 for post-intervention epigenetic profiling.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Other
- Masking
- Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking Description
If a participant chooses to opt-in at consent to receive the injection, participants and clinicians will be blinded to their randomization. Caregivers will also be blinded to their child's randomization. Randomization will occur prior to the midpoint assessment.
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 4 Years to 17 Years (Child)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Levels I-V.
- •Between 4 and 17 years old at the time of enrollment/consent.
- •Diagnosis of spastic CP hemiplegia, diplegia, or quadriplegia.
- •Stable medical condition as determined by the investigator.
- •Adequate caregiver support to be able to participate in training and assessment sessions for the duration of the study, at the discretion of the Investigator.
- •Capable of performing simple cued motor tasks and can follow 2-3 step commands.
- •Capable of communicating an accurate yes or no answer to questions according to parent or guardian.
- •Able to localize pain/ discomfort.
- •Physician approval for participation.
- •Parent/ guardian permission.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Concurrent neurological disease affecting the central nervous system.
- •Cardiovascular or musculoskeletal disease or injury that would prevent full participation in physical therapy intervention
- •Orthopedic dysfunction, injury, or surgery that would impact an individual's ability to use the upper and/or lower extremity
- •Unhealed fracture or other musculoskeletal impairment that might interfere with upper or lower extremity rehabilitation or testing activities
- •Implanted stimulator (e.g., epidural stimulator, vagus nerve stimulator, pacemaker, cochlear implant) or drug delivery device (e.g., baclofen pump)
- •Dependence on an electro-magnetic medical implant (e.g., cardiac pacemaker, implanted drug pump), ventilation support, or another external device.
- •History of uncontrolled seizures
- •Unexplained presence of persistent complaints of pain of any kind
- •Unable to localize pain/discomfort
- •Severe cortico-visual impairment
Arms & Interventions
tSCS + Functional Activity Training + Mannitol (Placebo)
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation will be paired with training based on Aim.
Participants in Aim 1(GMFCS levels 1-3) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of treadmill and overground gait training using tSCS.
Participants in Aim 2(GMFCS levels 4-5) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of functional activity based training as appropriate.
A subset of opt-in participants will also be randomized to receive either 5-Azacitidine (VIDAZA) or placebo (Mannitol) at midpoint. A registered nurse will deliver a single subcutaneous injection of either AZA or placebo at a dose of 75 mg/m² to the participants lower abdomen or medial thigh.
Intervention: Functional Activity Training (Other)
tSCS + Functional Activity Training
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation will be paired with training based on Aim.
Participants in Aim 1(GMFCS levels 1-3) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of treadmill and overground gait training using tSCS.
Participants in Aim 2(GMFCS levels 4-5) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of functional activity based training as appropriate.
Intervention: tSCS (Other)
tSCS + Functional Activity Training
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation will be paired with training based on Aim.
Participants in Aim 1(GMFCS levels 1-3) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of treadmill and overground gait training using tSCS.
Participants in Aim 2(GMFCS levels 4-5) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of functional activity based training as appropriate.
Intervention: Functional Activity Training (Other)
tSCS + Functional Activity Training + 5-Azacitidine
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation will be paired with training based on Aim.
Participants in Aim 1(GMFCS levels 1-3) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of treadmill and overground gait training using tSCS.
Participants in Aim 2(GMFCS levels 4-5) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of functional activity based training as appropriate.
A subset of opt-in participants will also be randomized to receive either 5-Azacitidine (VIDAZA) or placebo (Mannitol) at midpoint. A registered nurse will deliver a single subcutaneous injection of either AZA or placebo at a dose of 75 mg/m² to the participants lower abdomen or medial thigh.
Intervention: tSCS (Other)
tSCS + Functional Activity Training + 5-Azacitidine
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation will be paired with training based on Aim.
Participants in Aim 1(GMFCS levels 1-3) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of treadmill and overground gait training using tSCS.
Participants in Aim 2(GMFCS levels 4-5) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of functional activity based training as appropriate.
A subset of opt-in participants will also be randomized to receive either 5-Azacitidine (VIDAZA) or placebo (Mannitol) at midpoint. A registered nurse will deliver a single subcutaneous injection of either AZA or placebo at a dose of 75 mg/m² to the participants lower abdomen or medial thigh.
Intervention: 5-Azacitidine (Drug)
tSCS + Functional Activity Training + 5-Azacitidine
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation will be paired with training based on Aim.
Participants in Aim 1(GMFCS levels 1-3) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of treadmill and overground gait training using tSCS.
Participants in Aim 2(GMFCS levels 4-5) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of functional activity based training as appropriate.
A subset of opt-in participants will also be randomized to receive either 5-Azacitidine (VIDAZA) or placebo (Mannitol) at midpoint. A registered nurse will deliver a single subcutaneous injection of either AZA or placebo at a dose of 75 mg/m² to the participants lower abdomen or medial thigh.
Intervention: Functional Activity Training (Other)
tSCS + Functional Activity Training + Mannitol (Placebo)
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation will be paired with training based on Aim.
Participants in Aim 1(GMFCS levels 1-3) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of treadmill and overground gait training using tSCS.
Participants in Aim 2(GMFCS levels 4-5) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of functional activity based training as appropriate.
A subset of opt-in participants will also be randomized to receive either 5-Azacitidine (VIDAZA) or placebo (Mannitol) at midpoint. A registered nurse will deliver a single subcutaneous injection of either AZA or placebo at a dose of 75 mg/m² to the participants lower abdomen or medial thigh.
Intervention: tSCS (Other)
tSCS + Functional Activity Training + Mannitol (Placebo)
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation will be paired with training based on Aim.
Participants in Aim 1(GMFCS levels 1-3) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of treadmill and overground gait training using tSCS.
Participants in Aim 2(GMFCS levels 4-5) will engage in three sessions a week for 16 weeks of functional activity based training as appropriate.
A subset of opt-in participants will also be randomized to receive either 5-Azacitidine (VIDAZA) or placebo (Mannitol) at midpoint. A registered nurse will deliver a single subcutaneous injection of either AZA or placebo at a dose of 75 mg/m² to the participants lower abdomen or medial thigh.
Intervention: Mannitol (Drug)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Spatiotemporal Gait Symmetry via Instrumented Gait-Mat
Time Frame: Baseline to Follow-Up, approximately 22 weeks
For Aim 1 participants (GMFCS levels 1-3), an instrumented gait-mat will be used to assess spatiotemporal gait symmetry.
Modified Tardieu Scale
Time Frame: Baseline to Follow-Up, approximately 22 weeks
For Aim 2 participants (GMFCS levels 4-5), muscle spasticity will be assessed using the Modified Tardieu Scale.
Secondary Outcomes
No secondary outcomes reported
Investigators
Arun Jayaraman, PT, PhD
Scientific Chair, Technology & Innovation
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab