Non-invasive Spinal Cord Stimulation and Blood Pressure Regulation After Spinal Cord Injury

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Spinal Cord Injury, Orthostatic Hypertension, Autonomic Dysreflexia

In brief

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if non-invasive spinal cord stimulation intervention improves blood pressure regulation in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can site specific spinal cord stimulation enhance blood pressure regulation? * Does this stimulation affect enzymes responsible for blood pressure regulation? Researchers will stimulate different sites of spinal cord and compare to see if site-specific stimulation provide blood pressure stability. Participants will have up to six pairs of self-adhesive conductive electrodes placed on the skin over the spinal cord (midline and/or just to the left and right of midline) as cathodes and up to six pairs of self-adhesive electrodes located symmetrically on the skin over the iliac crests, clavicles, shoulders, and/or abdominal muscles (left and right of the umbilicus) as anodes for stimulation of the spinal cord.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07504055

Run by

University of Louisville

People needed

40

Starts

2026-04-01

Expected to finish

2029-02-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-04-28

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• At least 18 years old,
• Stable medical condition,
• Non-progression SCI (no negative change in the neurological level and motor-completeness assess during screening when compared to the neurological status assessed at 6-month period after injury or at least 6 months prior to the screening),
• Motor-complete SCI according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) grade "A," "B," or "C" above T1 spinal level according to the ASIA International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) Neurological Level of Injury (NLI),
• Sustained SCI at least 12 months prior to entering the study,
• Evidence of symptomatic hypotension as determined by a total score >0 on the Orthostatic Hypotension Symptom Assessment (OSHA),
• Normal renal function as defined by eGFR > 59 ml/min/1.73, creatinine value within the range of 0.6-1.2 mg/dl, and BUN values within the range of 7-18 mg/dl,
• Competent to give informed consent for the research protocol,
• Able to understand instructions.

You may not qualify if…

• Major pulmonary or cardiovascular disease unrelated to SCI,
• Ventilator dependence,
• Painful musculoskeletal dysfunction that might interfere with testing or stimulation,
• Unhealed fracture that might interfere with testing or stimulation,
• Unhealed contracture that might interfere with testing or stimulation,
• Unhealed pressure sore that might interfere with testing or stimulation,
• Untreated clinically significant depression or psychiatric disorders,
• Ongoing drug abuse,
• Malignancy ,
• Class III obesity (BMI >40) and at least one co-morbidity thereof: a) Type 2 diabetes as defined by ≥6.5% level on two separate glycated hemoglobin (A1C) tests, b) hypertension as defined by consistent blood pressure readings of ≥140/90 mmHg or taking medication for blood pressure,
• Acute or chronic obstructive deep vein thrombosis,
• Secondary hypotension unrelated to SCI (anemia, hypervolemia, endocrine and neurological diseases),
• Major esophageal/gastrointestinal problem,
• Currently pregnant (females of childbearing potential only),
• Other major medical illness contraindicated for testing or stimulation.

Where it is running

• Frazier Rehabilitation Institute — Louisville, Kentucky, United States (enrolling)
• Frazier Rehabilitation and Neuroscience Institute — Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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