Acute and Chronic Repercussion of Spinal Cord Stimulation After Spinal Cord Injury

NCT ID: NCT07210411

Last Updated: 2025-12-15

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-02-01

Study Completion Date

2031-04-01

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this research is to learn about how the participant's body is able to balance changes in blood pressure, and how spinal cord stimulation affects these changes as well as immune \& cardiovascular function in participants with spinal cord injury.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Spinal Cord Injuries

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Control

Control participants without a spinal cord injury

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Tests of sympathetic inhibition

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Bolus phenylephrine infusion using the Oxford technique will generate the need to inhibit sympathetic activity. Similarly, resting state Mayer waves will be assessed with regard to heart rate and blood pressure responses.

Tests of above level sympathetic activation

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Cold pressor test of the hand will be used to cause sympathetic activation. Valsalva's maneuver will assess the ability to buffer against blood pressure fall (phase II).

Testing of below level sympathetic activation

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Cold pressor test of the foot and bladder pressor response (in individuals with SCI) will be tested.

Transcutaneous stimulation

Individuals with spinal cord injury receiving transcutaneous stimulation

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Tests of sympathetic inhibition

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Bolus phenylephrine infusion using the Oxford technique will generate the need to inhibit sympathetic activity. Similarly, resting state Mayer waves will be assessed with regard to heart rate and blood pressure responses.

Tests of above level sympathetic activation

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Cold pressor test of the hand will be used to cause sympathetic activation. Valsalva's maneuver will assess the ability to buffer against blood pressure fall (phase II).

Testing of below level sympathetic activation

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Cold pressor test of the foot and bladder pressor response (in individuals with SCI) will be tested.

Transcutaneous stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcutaneous stimulation will be used for participants with spinal cord injury without an implanted stimulator during diagnostic testing.

Epidural stimulation

Individuals with spinal cord injury receiving epidural stimulation

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Tests of sympathetic inhibition

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Bolus phenylephrine infusion using the Oxford technique will generate the need to inhibit sympathetic activity. Similarly, resting state Mayer waves will be assessed with regard to heart rate and blood pressure responses.

Tests of above level sympathetic activation

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Cold pressor test of the hand will be used to cause sympathetic activation. Valsalva's maneuver will assess the ability to buffer against blood pressure fall (phase II).

Testing of below level sympathetic activation

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Cold pressor test of the foot and bladder pressor response (in individuals with SCI) will be tested.

Epidural stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Currently implanted epidural stimulation will be used during diagnostic testing.

Interventions

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Tests of sympathetic inhibition

Bolus phenylephrine infusion using the Oxford technique will generate the need to inhibit sympathetic activity. Similarly, resting state Mayer waves will be assessed with regard to heart rate and blood pressure responses.

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Tests of above level sympathetic activation

Cold pressor test of the hand will be used to cause sympathetic activation. Valsalva's maneuver will assess the ability to buffer against blood pressure fall (phase II).

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Testing of below level sympathetic activation

Cold pressor test of the foot and bladder pressor response (in individuals with SCI) will be tested.

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Epidural stimulation

Currently implanted epidural stimulation will be used during diagnostic testing.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcutaneous stimulation

Transcutaneous stimulation will be used for participants with spinal cord injury without an implanted stimulator during diagnostic testing.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age 18-50.
* American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A-D,64 to encompass a representational spectrum of autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury.
* Neurological level of injury, C6-T8, as defined by the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury.64 Incorporating level of injury over this broad range to capture the spectrum of autonomic dysfunction. Individuals with injuries below T8 will not be included to ensure transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation does not occur over the injury/glial scar, where it may have altered properties. The C6 level was chosen to ensure hand cold pressor stimuli triggers above level sympathetic activation.
* Time since injury of greater than six months, given early changes in spinal cord connectivity and recovery prior to this.
* Both individuals with and without currently implanted epidural spinal cord stimulators will be enrolled.
* Twenty uninjured controls will also be enrolled.

Exclusion Criteria

* History of clinically diagnosed cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autonomic neuropathies, neurological disorders (with exception of spinal cord injury for individuals in those cohorts), or are active smokers.
* Individuals who are taking betablockers, antihypertensives, or other sympathetically active medications which they are unable to hold.
* Women who are pregnant or lactating, given known hormonal influences on autonomic regulation.65,66
* Cognitive issues preventing informed consent for participation.
* Body mass index \>30 kg/m2 for the uninjured controls only given increased risk of prediabetes and potential confounding normative values.
* taking or being administered a medication known to potentially have adverse interactions with phenylephrine
* in the judgement of the principal investigator, any illness or condition that will interfere with the patient's ability to comply with the protocol, compromise patient safety, or interfere with the interpretation of the study results
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

50 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Mayo Clinic

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Ryan J. Solinsky

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Ryan Solinsky, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Mayo Clinic

Locations

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Mayo Clinic

Rochester, Minnesota, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Zachary Pohlkamp

Role: CONTACT

507-422-0140

Facility Contacts

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Zachary Pohlkamp

Role: primary

507-422-0140

References

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Solinsky R, Burns K, Tuthill C, Hamner JW, Taylor JA. Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation and its impact on cardiovascular autonomic regulation after spinal cord injury. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2024 Jan 1;326(1):H116-H122. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00588.2023. Epub 2023 Nov 10.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 37947438 (View on PubMed)

Solinsky R, Burns K, Hamner JW, Veith DD, Singer W, Taylor JA. A Novel Testing Battery for Preserved Autonomic Regulation Following Spinal Cord Injury and New Translationally Focused Data Representation. Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil. 2025 Spring;31(2):50-61. doi: 10.46292/sci24-00071. Epub 2025 Jun 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 40585014 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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25-001000

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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