Paired brain and wrist nerve stimulation to boost hand motor plasticity in the cervical spinal cord

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This confirmatory experimental study applies the SCAP-Nerve protocol, pairing sub‑threshold hand motor cortical stimulation with median nerve pulses timed to converge in the cervical spinal cord. Typically developing adult volunteers will undergo up to four sessions measuring physiological outcomes such as motor-evoked potentials and behavioral measures of upper-limb motor responses. Participants with seizure risk, implanted devices, or local musculoskeletal injury are excluded for safety. The goal is to confirm prior lab findings that cervical spinal cord convergence produces larger motor responses than convergence in the motor cortex.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Willingness to participate in up to 4 sessions
* Maintenance of caffeine and exercise levels at time of sessions
* Ability to provide informed consent
* No known central or peripheral neurological disease or injury
* No known musculoskeletal injury of the tested arm or hand

Exclusion Criteria:

* Personal or family history of seizures
* Use of medications that lower seizure threshold
* History of implanted equipment including stimulators/pacemakers

Where it's running

• Columbia University Irving Medical Center
  New York, New York, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Jason Carmel, MD, PhD — Columbia University
• Study coordinator: Shaker Dukkipati, MD, PhD
• Email: sd3850@cumc.columbia.edu
• Phone: 2123046501

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.