Intermittent Hypoxia and Upper Extremity EMG Recordings in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Status: Completed

Conditions: Spinal Cord Injuries

Treatments: Other: Acute Intermittent Hypoxia

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05513911

STU00201602

Details and patient eligibility

About

In this current study, the examiners examine some of the mechanisms of how Acute Intermittent Hypoxia (AIH) effects the upper extremity of survivors of spinal cord injury. This is accomplished both with the use of a load cell to determine elbow strength changes and high density grid electromyography (EMG) to record bicep muscle activations before and after bouts of AIH

Full description

It has been shown previously that there is an increase in strength in survivors of spinal cord injury after brief bouts of Acute Intermittent Hypoxia. In this study, participants are fitted with a high density EMG electrode on the biceps brachii, and attached to a load cell at the wrist, they are asked to flex and extend their elbow at various levels of intensity. This is performed before and after the 30 minute session of AIH. The investigators hope to identify specific types of motor units of the upper extremity of survivors of spinal cord injury after AIH to help further our understanding of what mechanisms may be causing the known increase in muscle strength post AIH

Enrollment: 8 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• History of Spinal Cord Injury from C3-T4
• Non-progressive spinal cord injury
• More than 6 months since initial Spinal Cord injury
• Ability to understand and willingness to sign written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of any of the following medical conditions: Congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, COPD/emphysema and severe asthma
• Persons with known coronary artery disease, a history of myocardial infarction, or known carotid or intracerebral artery stenosis
• Medical clearance will be required if participant is taking any other investigational agents
• Women who are pregnant or nursing
• Individuals with tracheostomy
• Cannot pursue other research studies which may interfere
• Unable to consent
• Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers)
• Prisoners

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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8 participants in 1 patient group

Acute intermittent Hypoxia Therapy

Experimental group

Description:

This group will receive the acute intermittent hypoxia therapy (9% O2) for 30 minutes. Before and after the intervention the participant will perform flexion of the elbow at various levels of intensity

Treatment:

Other: Acute Intermittent Hypoxia