Clinical trial NCT05513911: Intermittent Hypoxia and Upper Extremity EMG Recordings in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury
Official title: Intermittent Hypoxia and Upper Limb Training in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Spinal Cord Injuries
Keywords: Acute Intermittent Hypoxia
Motor Unit
Upper Extremity
Lead sponsor: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2022-08-24
Enrollment: 8
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 70
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Intervention model description: Every participant in this study will receive the intervention
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: In this current study, the examiners examine some of the mechanisms of how Acute Intermittent Hypoxia (AIH) effects the upper extremity of survivors of spinal cord injury. This is accomplished both with the use of a load cell to determine elbow strength changes and high density grid electromyography (EMG) to record bicep muscle activations before and after bouts of AIH

Detailed description: It has been shown previously that there is an increase in strength in survivors of spinal cord injury after brief bouts of Acute Intermittent Hypoxia. In this study, participants are fitted with a high density EMG electrode on the biceps brachii, and attached to a load cell at the wrist, they are asked to flex and extend their elbow at various levels of intensity. This is performed before and after the 30 minute session of AIH. The investigators hope to identify specific types of motor units of the upper extremity of survivors of spinal cord injury after AIH to help further our understanding of what mechanisms may be causing the known increase in muscle strength post AIH

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* History of Spinal Cord Injury from C3-T4
* Non-progressive spinal cord injury
* More than 6 months since initial Spinal Cord injury
* Ability to understand and willingness to sign written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* Presence of any of the following medical conditions: Congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, COPD/emphysema and severe asthma
* Persons with known coronary artery disease, a history of myocardial infarction, or known carotid or intracerebral artery stenosis
* Medical clearance will be required if participant is taking any other investigational agents
* Women who are pregnant or nursing
* Individuals with tracheostomy
* Cannot pursue other research studies which may interfere
* Unable to consent
* Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers)
* Prisoners

Primary outcomes:
measure: Maximal Elbow Strength [Newtons]
timeFrame: 30 minutes Post intervention
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Biceps Brachii Muscle activation [μv]
timeFrame: 30 minutes post intervention
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
state: Illinois
Study officials:
affiliation: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
name: William Z Rymer, MD, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
name: Milap Sandhu, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: