TCES in cervical SCI, Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effects of transcutaneous electrical stimulation on arm functions in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury.
IRAS ID
293158
Contact name
Sarah Astill
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 19 days
Research summary
Following a cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI; damage to the spinal cord at the neck) there is catastrophic loss of hand and grip function. This has a devastating effect on quality of life and functional independence. Thus, there is a real need to identify and optimise therapy to aid functional arm and hand recovery. One such therapy is Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation (tCES). This involves applying sticky pads to the skin and then transmitting a low-level electrical current to the spinal cord. This activates neural circuits, allowing injured nerves to transmit signals to muscles to produce movement while completing upper limb tasks. The purpose of this pilot project is to establish if and how tCES might be used to improve arm and hand control. We will recruit 16 people who have had a cSCI for >1yr. First, we will invite volunteers to the University for 2 weeks, twice per week, to establish their baseline movement capacity. Then we will allocate the volunteers to one of two groups: group 1 will undertake 4 weeks of upper limb task practice (ULTP) followed by 4 weeks of ULTP+tCES; group 2 will undertake ULTP+tCES for 4 weeks followed by 4 weeks of ULTP. Participants will then complete a week (2 sessions) of post-intervention assessment. We will then invite volunteers and carers to be interviewed about their experiences of being involved in the project. Finally, there will be 2 sessions of follow-up assessment after 3 months. In order to assess if and how ULTP+tCES affects arm and hand control we will measure: movement capacity using standard clinical tests; muscular activity in response to brain/spinal stimulation; how fast and smooth movements are when reaching and grasping objects. We will also examine how the intervention has affected Quality of Life (QoL) and independence (Spinal Cord Independence Measure).
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NW/0171
Date of REC Opinion
29 Jul 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion