Evidence mapPaperPMID 40723009Full record

ArticleChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Cumulative Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation with Locomotor Training Safely Improves Trunk Control in Children with Spinal Cord Injury: Pilot Study.

Liubov Amirova, Anastasia Keller, Goutam Singh, Molly King, Parth Parikh, Nicole Stepp, Beatrice Ugiliweneza, Yury Gerasimenko, Andrea L Behrman

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07615686 (Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation to Improve Strength and Gait in Children With Spina Bifida), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07615686 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation to Improve Strength and Gait in Children With Spina Bifida

TypeinterventionalSponsorBailey PetersenRan2026 to 2029Enrolled20ConditionsSpina Bifida, MyelomeningoceleArmsTranscutaneous stimulator
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Liubov AmirovaKentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9464-6413
Anastasia KellerDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Goutam SinghKentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3382-2321
Molly KingKentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
Parth ParikhKentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3975-833X
Nicole SteppKentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
Beatrice UgiliwenezaKentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7334-6924
Yury GerasimenkoPavlov Institute of Physiology, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia.
Andrea L BehrmanKentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1859-8787

Funding

NIH/NICHD P2CHD086844
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesNon-invasive spinal cord transcutaneous stimulation (scTS) has expanded the therapeutic landscape of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation, offering potential benefits beyond compensatory approaches to paralysis. Children with SCI are particularly susceptible to developing neuromuscular scoliosis due to trunk muscle paralysis and ongoing skeletal growth, making targeted interventions crucial. As demonstrated in adults and pediatrics with SCI, the ability of scTS to acutely and safely enable an upright posture and trunk control could be leveraged as a therapeutic adjunct. Activity-based locomotor training (AB-LT) alone significantly improves trunk control in children with SCIs; combining it with scTS may enhance outcomes. This pilot study evaluated the safety, feasibility, and cumulative effects of AB-LT combined with scTS on trunk control in children with SCI.

methodsThree children with SCI completed 19 to 64 sessions of combined AB-LT and scTS. Adverse effects were monitored session to session, and trunk control was assessed pre- and post-intervention.

resultsAcross 130 interventions in three participants, 88.5% of sessions were free from adverse effects. Reported adverse events included autonomic dysreflexia (5.4%), skin redness at electrode sites (4.6%), and headaches (1.5%). No significant impact of scTS on fatigue or central hemodynamic parameters was observed. Post-intervention, all participants demonstrated improved trunk control during quiet and perturbed sitting.

conclusionsThese findings provide the first evidence supporting the safety and feasibility of this combinatorial approach in pediatric SCI rehabilitation while emphasizing the importance of monitoring skin integrity and signs of autonomic dysreflexia. This intervention shows potential synergistic benefits, warranting further research to confirm efficacy and optimize therapeutic protocols.

Indexed as

activity-based locomotor trainingpediatricsspinal cord injuryspinal cord transcutaneous stimulationtrunk control

Identifiers

PMID40723009
PMCPMC12293838

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.