Helping legs and walking recover after cervical spinal cord injury
Enhancing recovery of lower limb function after spinal cord injury
This project uses mild electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve during leg rehabilitation to help people with cervical spinal cord injuries improve walking and leg function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Dallas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richardson, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11178552 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
I would take part in rehab where mild electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve in the neck is delivered at precise moments during lower-limb exercises to boost the brain–spinal cord connections that support walking. The team will finalize a closed-loop system that detects the right movement and triggers stimulation during gait training. This approach builds on animal studies and prior work showing VNS paired with therapy improved arm and hand recovery after stroke, and on early clinical signals in people with incomplete cervical SCI. The UG3 phase focuses on designing, testing, and ensuring the system works reliably and safely for use in clinical rehab.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury who retain some voluntary leg movement and have difficulty walking.
Not a fit: People with complete cervical spinal cord injuries who have no voluntary leg movement are unlikely to benefit from this therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could improve walking ability, safety, and independence for people with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury.
How similar studies have performed: Vagus nerve stimulation paired with rehabilitation improved arm and hand recovery after stroke and showed strong benefits in animal SCI models, with early positive clinical signals in incomplete cervical SCI.
Where this research is happening
Richardson, United States
- University of Texas Dallas — Richardson, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rennaker, Robert L — University of Texas Dallas
- Study coordinator: Rennaker, Robert L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.