Recruiting

Cortical & Nerve Stimulation

Sponsor:

Columbia University

Code:

NCT07607665

Conditions

Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Paired brain and nerve stimulation

Study Details

Brief summary:

Associative plasticity has been used to promote functional recovery from conditions affecting movement. The long term goal of this project is to use electrical stimulation techniques to improve arm and hand function. The goal of this prospective experimental study in adults with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (hCP) is to test the effects of pairing hand motor cortical and median nerve stimulation targeted to induce plasticity in the cervical spinal cord. Based on preliminary data in neurotypical adults, the investigators are testing the effects of this approach in adults with hCP.

This study will first verify the present stimulation parameters as sufficient to promote induction of associative plasticity of sensorimotor connections for manual dexterity in adults with hCP. This will be assessed through neurophysiological, biomechanical, and clinical functional outcome measures. Successful pairing showing meaningful improvements in dexterity could then be used as an impetus for a larger study examining the efficacy of SCAP in people with hCP.

Conditions

Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

Study ID

NCT07607665

Start date

Jun, 2026

Status verified date

May, 2026

Completion date

May, 2032

Anticipated

Primary completion date

May, 2031

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Maintenance of caffeine and exercise levels at time of sessions
  • Ability to provide informed consent
  • Manual ability classification system (MACS) level I to III

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of seizures in last two years
  • Use of medications that lower seizure threshold
  • History of implanted equipment including stimulators/pacemakers

Study Design

Enrollment

25 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Paired brain and nerve stimulation

With this session, participants will receive paired motor cortical stimulation and median nerve stimulation at sub-threshold intensities, timed to converge in the cervical spinal cord simultaneously.

Interventions

Paired brain and nerve stimulation

This utilizes pairing of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and peripheral nerve stimulation (rPNS) timed to converge in the cervical spinal cord.

Primary outcome measure

  • Size of muscle response to brain stimulation after intervention (percentage) [ Time Frame: 30 minutes after intervention ]
  • Number of blocks moved during box and blocks testing (BBT) after intervention [ Time Frame: 30 minutes after intervention ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Shaker Dukkipati, MD, PhD

2123046501sd3850@cumc.columbia.edu

Jason Carmel, MD, PhD

jbc28@cumc.columbia.edu

Locations

Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Recruiting

New York, New York, United States, 10040

Contacts

Shaker Dukkipati, MD, PhD

2123046501sd3850@cumc.columbia.edu

Jason Carmel, MD, PhD

jbc28@cumc.columbia.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Columbia University

Last update posted

May 28, 2026

Last verified

May, 2026

Keywords

  • cervical spinal cord
  • spinal cord associative plasticity
  • SCAP
  • corticospinal
  • manual dexterity
  • cerebral palsy
  • motor evoked potential
  • hemiplegia
  • adults with CP
  • sensory
  • somatosensation

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Columbia University on 2026-05-28.