Our Research
Most individuals with injury or disease of the spinal cord have residual nerve connections, even if they have trouble moving their muscles.
To strengthen these connections, we conduct multiple studies using different combinations of physical exercises, magnetic stimulation, electrical stimulation, ischemic conditioning, and medications.
Call for participants!
The Neurorehabilitation Program currently has several studies seeking volunteers.
Veterans and non-Veterans are eligible for our research studies.
People with spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or uninjured volunteers are welcome to participate in our studies. For information about specific research projects and eligibility criteria please check out our studies below:
Paired brain and spinal cord stimulation for arm and hand function after cervical SCI
Preliminary study testing different combinations of magnetic and electrical brain and spinal cord stimulation to better understand how different nerve circuits interact with each other in SCI, and also to see if we can temporarily improve hand function by activating spared nerve connections.
The role of pharmacological agents in restoring neuronal excitability after chronic SCI
This study focuses on the short-term effects of single-dose drugs on restoration and/or normalization of CNS excitability in individuals with weak wrist and finger muscles after cervical SCI. Each drug tested has already gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use in other conditions.
Cognition Glove and Arm Brace integrated with Virtual Reality for hand grasping after SCI
We are testing a protocol that involves wearing a “Cognition Glove” or an “Upper-Arm Brace” integrated with a VR environment that provides multiple types of visual and audio feedback to try to improve control of reaching and grasping.
Pairing brain and spinal stimulation to achieve Spinal Cord Associative Plasticity (SCAP)
In this novel study, we are expanding our paired cortical-spinal stimulation program to deliver repetitive stimulation that will potentially strengthen synaptic connections and improve hand strength in people with SCI.
Priming the Spine before Gait Training for SCI
Clinical trial investigating the effects of robotic gait training primed with non-invasive transspinal electrical stimulation over the thoracic spine.