Study on Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Cycling Following Spinal Cord Injury

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This research is being done to study the effect of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) cycling on factors in blood and spinal cord in people with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Detailed Description
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FES cycling is a method of applying low level electrical currents to the leg and buttock muscles to cause the weakened or paralyzed muscles to contract and produce a cycling motion of the legs. The FES cycling in this study will be done through a device called the RT300-SL Cycle Ergometer. Although this device has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use by individuals with spinal cord injury, we are trying to find out the best way to use it in order to obtain the greatest benefits in an attempt to improve functional recovery.

Official Title
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CURE-SCI. Clinical Utilization of CNS Growth Factor Release in Response to Electrical Stimulation Following Spinal Cord Injury.

Conditions
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Spinal Cord Injury

Intervention / Treatment
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* Device: FES Cycling
* Device: Cycling without FES
* Procedure: Lumbar puncture
* Behavioral: Mood assessment


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: History of traumatic spinal cord injury sustained at least 6 months prior Complete spinal cord injury at any level American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale A No use of functional electrical stimulation within 3 months Medically stable, with no recent (1 month or less) inpatient admission for acute medical or surgical issues Legally able to make own health care decisions Exclusion Criteria: Cardiovascular disease as defined by previous myocardial infarction, unstable angina, requirement for anti platelet agents, congestive heart failure, or stroke, history of arrhythmia with hemodynamic instability Uncontrolled hypertension (resting systolic blood pressure (BP) >160mmHg or diastolic BP >100mmHg consistently) Concurrent lower motor neuron disease such as peripheral neuropathy that would exclude lower extremity electrical excitability Unstable long bone fractures of the lower extremities Subjects who are unwilling to agree to two (2) CSF examinations (lumbar punctures) Presence of cardiac pacemaker and/or defibrillator Presence of cancer History of epileptic seizures Subjects having a Stage 2 or greater sacral decubitus ulcer Women who are pregnant Active drug or alcohol use or dependence

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Group A<br>For 3 weeks, you will need to come to the ICSCI one (1) time per week during which you will perform FES cycling for 1 hour each. | Device: FES Cycling<br>* You will be seated in your own wheelchair in front of the cycle. We will place your legs onto the cycle and secure them with straps. Electrodes (pads that stick to the skin) will be placed on your skin on your legs and buttock. The pads will be connected to a stimulator box through a wire. We will then start the cycle motor and stimulate your leg and buttock muscles with electric current. This will cause your legs to cycle. You will do this for 1 hour.<br>* Other names: RT300-SL, from Restorative Therapies, INC.;Procedure: Lumbar puncture<br>* The study includes 2 lumbar punctures: one at the beginning of the study and one at the end. During a lumbar puncture a small needle will be inserted into the lower back and a small amount of spinal fluid will be drained (about 1 tablespoon).<br>* Other names: Spinal tap;Behavioral: Mood assessment<br>* If you do not already have an account, you will be signed up with Mood24/7 (http://www.mood247.com). This is a free service that texts your mobile phone daily asking you to rate your mood on a scale of 1 (low) through 10 (high). We will not monitor your entries during the study but only at the final visit when we will get a printout of the course of your mood during the study. After completion of the study we will assist you in removing us from your Mood24/7 account and we will no longer have access to your mood reports outside of the study period.<br>* Other names: Mood24/7;|
| Experimental: Group B<br>For 3 weeks, you will need to come to the ICSCI three (3) times per week during which you will perform FES cycling for 1 hour each. | Device: FES Cycling<br>* You will be seated in your own wheelchair in front of the cycle. We will place your legs onto the cycle and secure them with straps. Electrodes (pads that stick to the skin) will be placed on your skin on your legs and buttock. The pads will be connected to a stimulator box through a wire. We will then start the cycle motor and stimulate your leg and buttock muscles with electric current. This will cause your legs to cycle. You will do this for 1 hour.<br>* Other names: RT300-SL, from Restorative Therapies, INC.;Procedure: Lumbar puncture<br>* The study includes 2 lumbar punctures: one at the beginning of the study and one at the end. During a lumbar puncture a small needle will be inserted into the lower back and a small amount of spinal fluid will be drained (about 1 tablespoon).<br>* Other names: Spinal tap;Behavioral: Mood assessment<br>* If you do not already have an account, you will be signed up with Mood24/7 (http://www.mood247.com). This is a free service that texts your mobile phone daily asking you to rate your mood on a scale of 1 (low) through 10 (high). We will not monitor your entries during the study but only at the final visit when we will get a printout of the course of your mood during the study. After completion of the study we will assist you in removing us from your Mood24/7 account and we will no longer have access to your mood reports outside of the study period.<br>* Other names: Mood24/7;|
| Experimental: Group C<br>For 3 weeks, you will need to come to the ICSCI five (5) times per week during which you will perform FES cycling for 1 hour each. | Device: FES Cycling<br>* You will be seated in your own wheelchair in front of the cycle. We will place your legs onto the cycle and secure them with straps. Electrodes (pads that stick to the skin) will be placed on your skin on your legs and buttock. The pads will be connected to a stimulator box through a wire. We will then start the cycle motor and stimulate your leg and buttock muscles with electric current. This will cause your legs to cycle. You will do this for 1 hour.<br>* Other names: RT300-SL, from Restorative Therapies, INC.;Procedure: Lumbar puncture<br>* The study includes 2 lumbar punctures: one at the beginning of the study and one at the end. During a lumbar puncture a small needle will be inserted into the lower back and a small amount of spinal fluid will be drained (about 1 tablespoon).<br>* Other names: Spinal tap;Behavioral: Mood assessment<br>* If you do not already have an account, you will be signed up with Mood24/7 (http://www.mood247.com). This is a free service that texts your mobile phone daily asking you to rate your mood on a scale of 1 (low) through 10 (high). We will not monitor your entries during the study but only at the final visit when we will get a printout of the course of your mood during the study. After completion of the study we will assist you in removing us from your Mood24/7 account and we will no longer have access to your mood reports outside of the study period.<br>* Other names: Mood24/7;|
| Experimental: Group D<br>For 3 weeks, you will need to come to the ICSCI three (3) times per week during which you will perform cycling without FES for 1 hour each. | Device: Cycling without FES<br>* You will be seated in your own wheelchair in front of the cycle. We will place your legs onto the cycle and secure them with straps. The cycle is configured to work without FES. We will then start the cycle motor. This will cause your legs to cycle. You will do this for 1 hour.<br>* Other names: RT300-SL, from Restorative Therapies, INC.;Procedure: Lumbar puncture<br>* The study includes 2 lumbar punctures: one at the beginning of the study and one at the end. During a lumbar puncture a small needle will be inserted into the lower back and a small amount of spinal fluid will be drained (about 1 tablespoon).<br>* Other names: Spinal tap;Behavioral: Mood assessment<br>* If you do not already have an account, you will be signed up with Mood24/7 (http://www.mood247.com). This is a free service that texts your mobile phone daily asking you to rate your mood on a scale of 1 (low) through 10 (high). We will not monitor your entries during the study but only at the final visit when we will get a printout of the course of your mood during the study. After completion of the study we will assist you in removing us from your Mood24/7 account and we will no longer have access to your mood reports outside of the study period.<br>* Other names: Mood24/7;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CSF Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Level | We will quantify levels of BDNF in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using immunohistochemical quantification methods. | Baseline | 
| CSF Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Level | We will quantify levels of BDNF in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using immunohistochemical quantification methods. | At 3 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mood Assessment | We will assess mood daily on a Likert scale from 1 (low) to 10 (high) using Mood24/7 (http://www.mood247.com). | 3 weeks | 
| Spasticity Testing Using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) | The MAS is a widely used neurological rating scale, ranging from 0 (normal) to 5. It measures neurological impairment and disability based on the ratings of an observer or neurologist through structured definitions. | Baseline | 
| CSF Growth Factor Quantification | We will quantify levels of neurotrophin-3 (NT3), neurotrophin-4 (NT4), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using immunohistochemical quantification methods. | Baseline | 
| Serum Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Level | We will quantify levels of BDNF in the serum/blood using immunohistochemical quantification methods. | Baseline | 
| Spasticity Testing Using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) | The MAS is a widely used neurological rating scale, ranging from 0 (normal) to 5. It measures neurological impairment and disability based on the ratings of an observer or neurologist through structured definitions. | At 3 weeks | 
| CSF Growth Factor Quantification | We will quantify levels of neurotrophin-3 (NT3), neurotrophin-4 (NT4), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using immunohistochemical quantification methods. | At 3 weeks | 
| Serum Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Level | We will quantify levels of BDNF in the serum/blood using immunohistochemical quantification methods. | At 3 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Spinal cord injury, Functional electrical stimulation, Rehabilitation, Growth factors, Cytokines