Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40894062›Full record

ArticleResearch square2025

Spinal Cord Stimulation Immediately Improves Strength, Arm Function and Reduces Spasticity in People With Chronic Post-Stroke Upper Limb Hemiparesis.

Roberto M de Freitas, Shovan Bhatia, Erynn Sorensen, Nikhil Verma, Erick Carranza, Scott Ensel, Luigi Borda, Amy Boos, Jeff Goldsmith, Lee E Fisher and 11 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readPreprint
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Research square, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04512690 (Spinal Cord Stimulation for Restoration of Arm and Hand Function in People With Subcortical Stroke), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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.

NCT04512690 nacompletednot on this map

Spinal Cord Stimulation for Restoration of Arm and Hand Function in People With Subcortical Stroke

TypeinterventionalSponsorLee Fisher, PhDRan2021 to 2025Enrolled7ConditionsStroke, Brain Diseases, Central Nervous System Diseases, Nervous System DiseasesArmsEpidural electrical stimulation (EES) of the cervical spinal cord
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Roberto M de FreitasDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Shovan BhatiaDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Erynn SorensenDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0988-4132
Nikhil VermaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID 0009-0004-5533-6887
Erick CarranzaRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Scott EnselRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Luigi BordaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-4670-8530
Amy BoosRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Jeff GoldsmithDepartment of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA.
Lee E FisherRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9072-3119
Daryl P FieldsDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Marc P PowellDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Shane GordonProcirca Center for Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Jeffrey BalzerDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Robert M FriedlanderDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5008-7592
George F WittenbergRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Peter C GersztenDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
John W KrakauerDepartment of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4316-1846
Elvira PirondiniRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8078-3951
Douglas J WeberDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9782-3497
Marco CapogrossoDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0975-316X

Funding

Spinal Cord Stimulation to Improve Motor Function in People with Post-Stroke HemiplegiaUG3NS123135 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI CAPOGROSSO, MARCO, WEBER, DOUGLAS J · 2022 to 2024
$4.7M
NINDS NIH HHS UG3 NS123135
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Here, we report the final outcomes of a pilot clinical trial testing preliminary efficacy and safety of cervical epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic post-stroke upper-limb hemiparesis (NCT04512690). We implanted seven participants with profound motor deficits (Fugl-Meyer Assessment [FMA] scores 15-35) using two leads implanted unilaterally in the cervical spinal cord for 4 weeks. Under SCS ON, motor function immediately improved regardless of impairment severity (average +32% strength and +5.6 FMA-points). Notably, 3/7 participants with residual corticospinal connectivity to finger muscles regained hand/finger function with SCS. Despite performing only 8.6hrs of motor activity (5.5hrs with SCS ON), participants improved by average +6.6 FMA-points at the end of the study compared to baseline and spasticity decreased in all participants. While all benefited, our preliminary analysis indicates that spared sensory function may be a determinant of responsiveness to SCS. No serious adverse events occurred.

Identifiers

PMID40894062
PMCPMC12393459

What Socratic holds

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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.