Spinal Cord Injury clinical trials at UC Davis

The purpose of this study is to obtain preliminary device safety information and demonstrate proof of principle (feasibility) of the ability of people with tetraplegia to control a computer cursor and other assistive devices with their thoughts.

The goal of this study is to improve our understanding of speech production, and to translate this into medical devices called intracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) that will enable people who have lost the ability to speak fluently to communicate via a computer just by trying to speak.

The Connect-One Study is an early feasibility study to obtain preliminary device safety information for the Connexus Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). The Connexus BCI is intended to be used as: (1) an assistive communication device to decode imagined language correlates and speech for patients with impaired communication as a result of severe loss of voluntary motor control; and (2) to provide control of computer devices for individuals with severe loss of voluntary motor control of the upper extremity.

This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a wearable rhythmic auditory stimulation system, MedRhythms, for improving gait parameters in patients with motor incomplete SCI. Up to 15 participants aged 18 years or older with non-progressive SCI will be enrolled. Participants will complete supervised gait training using the MedRhythms device twice weekly during regularly scheduled physical therapy sessions over a six-week period. The device uses shoe-mounted sensors and headphones to deliver real-time individualized rhythmic auditory cues based on the user's gait pattern. Primary outcome measures include change in walking speed assessed with the 10-Meter Walk Test. Secondary outcomes include walking endurance measured by the 6-Minute Walk Test, gait parameters obtained through GAITRite analysis, and participant-reported outcomes including the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury II (WISCI II) and the SCI Quality of Life Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities measure. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks), and follow-up (12 weeks). Findings from this study will provide preliminary data on the feasibility and potential clinical impact of rhythmic auditory stimulation as an adjunctive gait rehabilitation strategy for individuals with incomplete SCI.