Task Practice and Spinal Cord Stimulation for Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

This study is exploring how combining hand task practice with Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation (TcSCS) might help people with cervical spinal cord injury and spasticity (muscle stiffness). TcSCS uses electrical stimulation through the skin to the spinal cord. Researchers want to see if higher stimulation frequencies can reduce spasticity and improve hand movement. You might be able to join if you are 22-70 years old, have a non-progressive cervical spinal cord injury for at least 12 months, and meet certain criteria for arm function and spasticity. The main goal is to measure changes in your hand motor performance using a test called GRASSP over about 4 months. The current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design: This interventional study plans to enroll 6 participants. It is not specified if it is randomized or blinded.
What's involved: You would participate in hand rehabilitative tasks while receiving TcSCS three times a week for 60 minutes. This will be done for up to 4 months.
Compensation: Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up: Your motor performance will be measured at baseline and up to 4 months after starting the intervention.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

Task Practice and Spinal Cord Stimulation

Active, Not Recruiting

NAAges 22–70Interventional

University of Miami

~6 participants

Updated 2026-08-26 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What's tested:Task Practice combined with Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation( TcSCS)

At a glance

Recruiting sites

0 of 2 listed sites are recruiting right now

RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open

What they're measuring

Change in motor performance as measured by The Graded Refined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility, and Prehension (GRASSP) test

Measured over baseline, up to 4 months

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injury Cervical

Spastic

NCT06494020

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 2 sites. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

University of Miami - Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center
Miami, Floridano site contact published
University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, The Miami Project To Cure Paralysis
Miami, Floridano site contact published

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Study leadership

James Guest, MD, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Miami

Who to contact

This trial hasn't published a contact. View it on ClinicalTrials.gov

Want this trial checked against your situation?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

22-70 years of age

Non-progressive cervical spinal cord injury

Minimum 12 months year post-injury.

American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) classification B, C, or D.

Able to take part in upper extremity therapy procedures.

GRASSP-Prehension score ≥10.

MAS Score ≥3 but \<6 in at least one arm.

Can commit to the time required for the study.

Stable medication profile for at least 4 weeks prior to enrollment.

Able to reduce Baclofen dose to 30 mg or less daily.

Capable of providing informed consent.

Exclusion

Has any unstable or significant medical condition that is likely to interfere with study procedures like severe neuropathic pain, depression, mood disorders, or other cognitive disorders.

Has uncontrolled cardiopulmonary disease or cardiac symptoms.

Requires ventilator support.

Has been diagnosed with autonomic dysreflexia that is severe, unstable, and uncontrolled.

Has an autoimmune etiology of spinal cord dysfunction/injury

Previously diagnosed as having transverse myelitis

History of additional neurologic diseases such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy or history of seizures.

Peripheral neuropathy (diabetic polyneuropathy, entrapment neuropathy, etc.)

Uncontrolled spasms, which have been unstable over the past three months prior to enrollment and are not expected to change.

Received Botulinum toxin injections in their upper extremity, neck, or hand within six months prior to enrollment.

Has painful musculoskeletal dysfunction, unhealed fracture, contracture, pressure sore, or urinary tract infection at the time of enrollment.

Breakdown in skin area that will come into contact with electrodes.

Presence of syringomyelia as determined by an MRI.

Currently undergoing treatment for cancer or has been in remission for less than 2 years.

Received stem cell treatment within the past two years prior to enrollment.

Has any active implanted medical device.

Concurrent participation in another drug or device trial that may interfere with this study.

In the opinion of the investigators, the study is not safe or appropriate for the participant.

Persons who are unable to consent, pregnant women, and prisoners.

What this trial measures

Change in motor performance as measured by The Graded Refined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility, and Prehension (GRASSP) testbaseline, up to 4 months
GRASSP is a multimodal test that measures sensorimotor and prehension function in three domains that are important for the description of arm and hand functions, namely strength, sensation and prehension strength. It is an ordinal scale (minimum value = 0, maximum value = 100) with higher scores indicating better performance. There is a sensation category ordinal scale (minimum value = 0 maximum value = 24) that measures sensation where higher scores indicate greater sensation. The Prehension performance category has an ordinal scale (minimum value = 0 maximum value = 40) that measures prehension where higher scores indicate greater ability.

Trialytics