Enhancing Recovery in Non-Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Western University, Canada

Status

Enrolling

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injuries

Cervical Spondylosis

Myelopathy Cervical

Spinal Cord Compression

Treatments

Behavioral: Occupational therapy rehabilitation

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT03320759

108706

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators have spent the last decade uncovering unique metabolic and functional abnormalities in the brains of patients with spinal cord compression. Degenerative spinal cord compression represents a unique model of reversible spinal cord injury. In the investigator's previous work, they have demonstrated that cortical reorganization and recruitment is associated with metabolic changes in the brains of patients recovering from spinal cord compression and is correlated with recovery and improved neurological scores.

The goal of this study is to combine a rigorous platform of clinical care that includes preoperative evaluation, surgery, and rehabilitation, with state of the art imaging techniques to demonstrate how rehabilitative therapy can increase brain plasticity and recovery of neurological function in patients with spinal cord injury. Neurological function will be carefully evaluated in two groups of patients, those receiving rehabilitation and those not receiving rehabilitation after spine surgery, and will be correlated with the results of advanced imaging.

Enrollment

40 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

right-handed
have a history of progressive neurological deficits <24 months
eligible for MRI scanning

Exclusion criteria

having any other neurological disorder or systemic disease that can impair neurological function
not fluent in reading and speaking English
being claustrophobic
unable to follow simple task instructions and maintain standardized movements
being unable to return for all follow-up imaging and rehabilitation sessions