Non‑invasive spinal stimulation to reduce spasms, pain, and improve movement after spinal cord injury
Calibrating Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation for Spasticity, Pain, and Motor Function in SCI
This project uses gentle electrical pulses over the skin of the spine to reduce muscle spasms, ease neuropathic pain, and help movement for people with spinal cord injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Shepherd Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11322017 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, clinicians will place electrodes on your skin over the spine and slowly find the stimulation settings that work best for your body. You will attend multiple in‑person sessions where researchers will record how your spasms, pain, and movement change with different settings and tasks. The team will aim to fine‑tune (calibrate) stimulation so it targets the spinal circuits that control spasticity, pain, and motor function while avoiding side effects. Results will be compared across participants to learn which settings and approaches are most helpful.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people living with spinal cord injury who experience troublesome spasticity, neuropathic pain, or difficulty with motor function and who can attend in‑person sessions.
Not a fit: People without spinal cord injury, those with implanted electronic devices like pacemakers, unstable medical conditions, or those whose spasticity and pain are already well controlled may not benefit or may be ineligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could lessen spasticity and neuropathic pain and improve mobility, possibly reducing the need for sedating antispasmodic medications.
How similar studies have performed: Early clinical work with non‑invasive and epidural spinal stimulation has shown promising reductions in spasticity, pain, and improvements in movement in small groups, but methods for individualized calibration are still being refined.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Shepherd Center — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Field-Fote, Edelle C. — Shepherd Center
- Study coordinator: Field-Fote, Edelle C.
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.